IRIA: The Soul Of Silence Special Edition
by KrisKinnus
Summary: Iria and Kazon's adventure begins again as the I completely re-tell the story the way it meant to have been from the start. The rewritten Prologue has been posted, the first of the what will include the entire story. Confused? Read on then and you'll come
1. Prologue: Awakenings

_IRIA__: The Soul of Silence_

**_Special Edition_**

_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" Fan Fiction_

_Written by: RisingSunKM (Formally Kris-Sama!!) _

-- - -

_Prologue_: **Awakenings **

The sky was dark as the night had rolled over the barren land. A sheet of gray clouds covered the dark sky, to were not even the closest star from the closest system could pierce it's barrier. The ground was nothing more than thick layers of dirt piled atop one another and stretched endlessly across the planet's surface. Through scattered patches of fog that accumulated from small bodies of muddy water, a few trees had sprouted from the surface but had long since dried away. Nothing more than slender, jagged branch figures scattered across the earth. This was a desolate place, a musk of inhabitancy about the region. It had seemed that life could not be conceivable in this place.

Suddenly, from a distance, two bright beams of light pierced through the dark fog. Soft footsteps trudged through the soily earth, stamping and snapping dead trigs and moss. With each step, there was a brief clatter of a metallic material. Armor, it seemed. One of these lights appeared to be a few steps ahead of the other one, it's beam slowly scanning the area thoroughly. It suddenly stopped bobbing up and down with each step that followed behind it and setting at one spot. The farther light ceased moving as well and shined on the source of it's peer, partially silhouetting a figure that seemed to be draped in some sort of coat or cloak.

"Well, anything...?" the closer voice asked softly. The voice was of a middle-aged man, raspy yet upbeat at the same time. The man briefly swinging his beam over to the other as he asked his question, revealing another male figure that was slimmer in build, but the short graze of the light hardly did the athletic frame justice.

With a soft clicking sound breaking through the stillness of the night a small green circle illuminated a few feet above the farther flashlight's bulb. I then shifted downward a few inches and rest over the other the other's man eye. The skin and orb under the circular lens basked in it's faint green glow. The eye, young and cold stared through it's lens as small digital readings reflected off it surface as he looked around the bare place the two inhabited.

"...there's no readings," the other man answered. His tone of voice reflecting that of his eyes. It was the voice of a younger man, maybe in his late teens. It was a low voice, almost sorrowful. Chilling, but with a certain wiseness beyond his years. "There's nothing here..." the young man added. With another clicking sound, the green lens moved back to it's original position and back into the darkness.

The older man signed to himself softly, moving his beam of light over a few dead trees before he let the beam fall to the dirty ground. "...Figures." The man's voice grew louder after learning that the two were alone. Perhaps he lost his sense of caution upon learning he and his counterpart we the only two around. "Let's set up shelter some somewhere 'round here. We ain't gettin' anywhere, 'specially in this dark."

"Why not go back to the Kreeper if there's nothing here." The younger voice responded, with a hint of confusion backing his words....and a little defiance.

"Nah, you should know better than that, kid," the older man scoffed. "We have to follow out with our contract. We, should be able to find something in the morning." The older voice grumbled to himself softly, as the beam of light abnormally moved upward and pointed backwards. It moved up and down rather quickly. The man was scratching at his head it seemed. "...and leave it to Tedan Tippedai to book us shitty Transit times. It's pitch black..."

"And you expecting anything else...?" the young one's soft, cold words weren't exactly reassuring for the older man.

The man chuckled nervously. "Ah-ha... yeah, well..." He waved his flash light over to his left, between two of the jagged, finger-like trees. "Just set up camp over there by those...things," he apparently he couldn't tell what they were. "I'll go find something to make a fire with. Now, hop to it..."

Without another word, the farther beam swung to the side and aimed at the ground in front of it's young keeper.

-- - -

Two tents were set up adjacent to each other in between the two trees. The two tents were both roughly made, by hand it seemed, out of long sheet of some animal hide. The way they were set up was is if make a little fortification with the two trees perpendicular to the two tents, each with their entrances facing each other. This bland planet apparently had enough resources and dead wood to provide a decent fire, which set in the middle of the cross and brilliantly lit the darkened area. It was a stark contrast that the planet probably wasn't even used to.

Gazing into the fire from one end of the crossed pattern was a teenager who sitting against the trunk of one of the trees, a few feet from the crackling flames.

The young man wore a black body suit that displayed his young, athletic form prominently and it reached up to halfway cuff and surround his neck. Over this body suit sat a metallic armor made from durable, stretchable, silver colored alloy. A thick, black piping surrounded the edges of the armored plates and served as a type of graft that connected them to the black suit. The armor covered his chest entirely, as well as his waist, arms, and legs, each with a seamless style that was simple yet somehow ornate quality to them. On his legs, he wore calve-high boots of the same silver material, and his feet were stretched out and crossed over each other, ankle-to-ankle, in a relaxed position. Both of his wrists and forearms had slightly bulky armaments that wrapped and shielded all the way round his arms and over the tops of his hands. Both hands were covered in a pair of padded, black gloves, smooth in texture. Like his leg, these armored arms, too, were folded across his chest. An entire body encased on black and silver shell. In fact, the face and eyes that continue to stare into the flames held the only visible patch of skin on him.

The young man had the darkest of brown hair framed a face of tanned amber skin, shoulder length and a few medium-sized bangs falling in front of his eyes. Tucked away behind his left ear were 5 hairbeads, each red and black in color, that varied in many different shapes, lengths and designs. He wore an ornate, thin choker around his neck with a small pendant handing underneath. But it was his piercing eyes that stood out as the prominent feature on his young face. They were a deep, brilliant green hue that almost seemed to glow on they're own. But there was something different about his eyes; something that seemed the total opposite of his relaxed sitting position. As the radiant flames that he gazed into glittered and reflected off of his green orbs, a stark coldness overtook his eye's lack of emotion. Just a stare; icy and unwavering.

A soft, musty breeze blew through the camp, making the pendent he wore around his neck clink softly against the top of his armor. The purplish trinket was a half Ying-Yang shaped object with three small, glimmering jewels embedded onto it. It was the sign this young man was a Hunter of Mycian origin; an apprentice, as deemed by it's color. The apprentice's nose crinkled briefly at first whiff of the stench the gust carried, but he still starred blankly into the campfire, motionless and quiet.

"_Hey!_" That older voice called from inside one of the tents, as he rustled around inside of it. The apprentice's green eyes moved from the fire and over to the tent briefly at the call, before going back to the dancing flames. "I thought I sent you out for better rations before we left?"

The other man unfastened the entry flap of his tent and crawled out grumbling to himself. He was obviously much older than the young man by the tree. Short, scruffy salt and pepper hair topped head. It stood in a spiked, unkempt mess above a gray bandana that covered his forehead completely. It seemed like the man hadn't been shaved in days, which easily made him look older than he probably actually was, but he still had atleast twenty or thirty years on the young man. He too had a Hunter's licensee draped around his neck, but this one was black with five jewels instead. He had a bulky, ridged build to his body. Obviously, as a Hunter, he should be wearing some type of armor, similar to that of the apprentice, but he concealed all behind by an old, tattered black trench coat that he kept buttoned up. The only real thing, other than his pendent, that made him stand out as any kind of warrior were the two, full length katanas that were sheathed at his waist. He continued to crawl over to the tree opposite the apprentice and rested his back against it.

"Hey, kid? Ya' gonna eat any of this garbage...?" The older man called over to the younger one, offering him what appeared to be some kind of alien, worm-like insect to him. The dead insect obviously grossed the older man out, otherwise he wouldn't complain about it and defiantly wouldn't eat it if it wasn't the standard meal for Mycian emergency rations. "Huh, Kaz...?" he asked again. But the young man didn't answer him. He still just sat there staring into the fire unfazed by the other man words. The older man's brow furrowed, having grown used to such reactions from his apprentice, or lack there of.

"Yo? Kazon?! Ya' over there? Ya' want some of this...?" The man asked again, holding the ration item out towards the young man.

The young man named Kazon Locke, or just Kaz as the older man called him, looked up and over the fire to his companion. He had always hated it when his instructor referred to him as simply 'Kaz', but there was nothing he could do to stop him from doing so, or anybody for that matter. It was almost as if it was the automatic thing to do. His dark green eyes blinked once before he slowly shook his head from side to side. "...I'm not hungry, Ouspi..."

"...I don't blame ya'," the aged Hunter Ouspi said as he withdrew his hand full of bug took a bite out of it's side, "this stuff tastes worse than my cooking!" he added with a mouthful.

Kazon had continued to watch his instructor from the other side of the campfire. He also hated being called 'kid', but yet another thing that he couldn't help. He watched as Ouspi slowly chewed down on the meat of the creature ... well, if it even was 'meat', Kazon though. A horrible expression flushed over the man's scruffy face and turned a pale color at the bitter, disgusting taste of the insect. Ouspi was quick to spit the nasty wad of 'food' out of his mouth and into the camp fire. Kazon face grimaced slightly at the sight.

Ouspi coughed a bit, rubbing his tongue with his gloved had in an attempt to get the foul taste from his mouth. He tossed a joking grin across the campfire over too his apprentice "Man..." he coughed again, tossing the remains of the insect aside, "It sucks you didn't find any water holes around here..."

Kazon stared at Ouspi for a moment, silently. Then, totally disregarding his instructor, lowered his gaze back to the fire.

Ouspi slouched against the trunk of the tree, defeated. "Ah, come on, Kaz! Lighten up! Five years I've known you, and hardly even a peep outta' ya!" Ouspi grinned again waved his hand in the air nonchalantly. "How ya' ever gonna get a nice lookin' girl actin' all boo-hoo'ey all the time huh?" He added with a laugh. But Kazon did nothing. He still just sat there.

Ouspi and Kazon had many one-sided conversations like this in the past. Countless amounts, each with the same result. Ouspi could never recall a time when Kazon very outspoken, his thoughts had always been reserved for himself. And even after taking him under his wing and teaching him his profession, he never exactly found out why his apprentice acted like he did and he knew that Kazon probably wasn't going to tell him either. After all, Ouspi could remember how uncomfortable it made him feel when he got nothing in return from Kazon. But since, he had kind of grown used to it and even jokes about it even though it fell on deaf ears with his apprentice...but it still bugged him that there he was: this bright, talented young man that he was carving into his replacement, and the kid that he had grown so attached too over the years, and he could hardly get a peep out of him about anything other than the job....

"Ouspi?" Kazon called from across the flames. It had snapped his instructor out of his daze. Kazon knew that when his instructor well enough to know that went Ouspi fell silent around him that he was usually thinking about how to handle him. It wasn't something that Kazon felt was necessary. Ouspi was in charge, he doesn't need to be deep in thought about with about him when there's job to be done. So he was always there to put things back into focus, like he was doing, gaining the old man's attention. "What's so interesting to Tedan Tippedai about this place?" he asked, but his eye never left the fire. "Aren't surveys supposed to left to science teams...?"

Ouspi shrugged his shoulders as he rest his hands behind his head, his fingers locking together. "Maybe they though there was something dangerous out here? Who knows? It's getting harder to trust much of anybody these days, yanno'?" There was a brief and uneasy silence, Kazon didn't respond. Ouspi could tell that the thought, for some reason, upset Kazon, though his apprentice wouldn't jump to express it. Ouspi cocked his head over to the side and looked out to what he could see of the wasteland, deciding to change the subject. "But since there's nothing out here, I'd say it's easy money. Just follow the contract and can get much more and a bag of space bugs to eat." He was joking, of course.

Another long silence fell over the campsite. Kazon glanced up to Ouspi once more, watching him as he continue to stare out at they're surroundings. Kazon had another thing he'd been meaning to ask him...or rather tell him.

"...I'm going try out your Borobdin when we get back." Kazon said, it came out as more of a demand than anything else.

"What?!" Ouspi shouted, his eyes bulging as he looked back over to Kazon. If he had been any more surprised he would have jumped into the fire by accident. Perhaps he was luck that he had stopped eating that terrible bug or else he'd have choked. "The B-b-borobdin?! Kid, you know you have to have Administration's permission to use one of those! You're just an apprentice, Kaz! And you don't have the experi--"

"Experience...?" Kazon said interrupted, finishing his word for him. His eyes took on that cold stare that Ouspi had grown to hate from his apprentice, and he found it strange that stare so cold could burn a through him just as much as their campfire could if he stuck his hand in it. "Wasn't it you that said I was better than half the Hunter's on roll now?" Kazon made his case.

"You're just to young, kid. Give it some time." Ouspi said, trying to end the conversation at that, though he knew it would just add fuel to Kazon's fire. He had always forgotten to think before he spoke when it came to Kazon.

Kazon's eye narrowed slightly, unnoticeable to Ouspi from across the campsite. "Gren was just licensed today and he can use one. He's barely older than I am." Kazon's lip curled in disdain. "Besides, you don't even use it...."

"True..." Ouspi responded gave Kazon that point, although he couldn't help but feel uneasy with his apprentice staring him down like he was. Ouspi had always preferred a good strong blade to firearms any day. He hardly ever carried guns on jobs when they weren't required, such as a job they were on. He had tried to lead Kazon along the same path as he, though his apprentice would hardly listen about such primitive thoughts. "...but look, I know you're good; every bit as good as Gren. Just 'cause I'm biased, I'd say you're better than him." One of Ouspi's hands moved to his black Hunter's pendant. "The only reason you're not up for early licensing is because of me. We've been through it before about me being blacklisted and you having to pay for it as my apprentice." He let the pendant drop down to his chest and he struck a grin. "And I'm getting to old for this type of thing, anyway. And you'll be eighteen when? Next week, is it?" Kazon only answered with a short nod. "Where there you go! Then you can have all the Borobdins and guns you could dream of and you can send me off to the ol' folks home in peace."

Naturally, Kazon didn't laugh at the joke. Not that Ouspi was expecting him too.

"But you're still my apprentice," Ouspi added, trying to sound serious enough to get through to the young man. "What I say goes. Understood...?"

"..._whatever_." Kazon said quietly to himself under his breath, finally taking his eyes from Ouspi and back to the fire.

"Good," the Hunter said with a deep sign...more thankful that that look of Kaz's was gone more so than getting out of the conversation. "I'm gonna turn in. There was a mud hole a few hundred yards east of here. So go get that soil sample before we forget about. Then get some sleep..."

...right." Kazon said somewhat sarcastically, but still kept the same soft, low tone of voice. "All of this kiddy biology work, I won't need to be a Hunter." His arms unfolded from his chest then he pushed himself from the ground and brushed himself off. "I'll know enough to teach at least one or two chapters in science class...."

Ouspi chuckled jokingly as he shook his head and began crawling back towards his tent. "Too bad you're about as good with children as you are with everyone else."

"_Tch_..." Kazon scoffed to himself passed his instructor, picked up a cloth sack from beside his tent, and headed away from camp. Ouspi was joking again of course. Kazon was upset because that was always Ouspi's retort for his own sarcastic whims.

Ouspi stopped and removed his trench coat before he got to his tent. As he unfastened each button down the coat's length, Ouspi had watched Kazon disappear into the dark from him from the corner of his eye. He could do nothing but shake his head solemnly. He thought to himself, removing his coat ands tossing it back over back over to the tree, skillfully aimed to where the collar had caught on a protruding knot, a kind of makeshift rack. Ouspi and pushed aside the tent's entry flap and crawled inside.

"Lighten up kid..."

-- - -

Kazon had left his flashlight at camp since we wasn't going that far. As long as he could see the campfire, he though, he'd wouldn't need any other light or his other tools. All the had with him was his pistol, witch never left his belt's holster. Ouspi had always joked about how he'd sleep with it if he could. The fight through the darkness of the night wasn't very painful as he made it to the mud hole Ouspi mentioned without much trouble. He crouched down and set the cloth sack on the ground in front of him. He looked over his shoulder to see that the camp site in the distance. He had to venture out little farther than he first though, but it wasn't totally unmanageable. He turned his attention back to the bag and pulled the string around it brim off to open it. He pulled a small glass container from a pouch on his belt and unscrewed the cap. He began to scoop small portions of the muddy soil and with the container.

"Science work..." Kazonsaid to himself with disdain as he screwed the cap back on tight and stood up. "Doubt we even get paid..."

Just as he bent back over to pick up the little bag, he heard footsteps behind him. Kazon dropped the soil container and his hand quickly moved to his holstered pistol, his body instinctively crouching into a defensive position. He turn around quickly in the process, hoping that it was just Ouspi, coming to tell him something that he might had forgotten. But oddly, there was no one there. No one behind him. Nothing but the campfire burning of in the distance.

"..--the hell...?" Kazon faced flushed with confusion as he scanned the area with his eyes looking out for anything that might be around. He eased off the grip he had on the hilt of his pistol very slowly as he could see that it was just him out here in the middle of no where. "I'm losing it..." He though to himself, shaking off the thought. He let out a sigh and turn back around and bent back over to pick up the bag and container of mud.

Yet, when he turned back around to head to camp, before he could even put the container back into the pouch he looked up and was startled by a what appeared to be a flash of red light. It seemed like a flash atleast, his eyes were playing tricks on him in the darkness of the night. Maybe there was no flash but indeed there was a solid glowing red line that stood between him and the campsite. The campsite. He couldn't even see the campsite anymore. This thing...was in his line of site. The faint glow that was given of the by the campfire that could be seen from here silhouetted a mammoth form that towered over Kazon's average height easily. The image was covered in tattered rags and capes that bellowed slightly in the musky breeze.

Kazon stood completely still save from the trembling in his hand and legs. He dropped both the cloth bag and glass container his hand's shook so. All he could find himself able to do was stare into that glowing red line that crossed what seemed like this creature's head hidden below his disc shaped helmet it atop it. Then he realized that this thing was but a few feet away from him

"Wha--...?" Kazon stammered in disbelief as the fear began to swell inside of him. He could feel the sweat begin to steam down his face. He took a step backwards, into the mud hole. "You're---...!!"

Then the monster gave out a deafening shriek and out of from the silhouette burst a a small, white fanged face no bigger than Kazon's fist. It lunged forward toward Kazon from the top of the discus-like head, snarling and drooling. Kazon's eyes widened in fear as he came face to face with the screaming, terrifying face. The best he could do in the little time he had was bring his right arm up to shield his face. He was lucky, but unfortunate at the same time, that it didn't bite at his face. Instead the monster was able to latch on to an open place on his arm that was not covered in armor and dug it's teeth through the black body suit and into Kazon's flesh. The young apprentice cried out in pain and quickly punched the pink, fleshy stalk that connected the white face with the rest of the monster's body with his other fist. The face let out a cry just as Kazon did and retracted.

Kazon clutched his bitten arm. He could feel the wetness of his blood seep through his glove and onto his bare hand. The fangs had cut deep into his arm on both sides and he was lucky enough to just have that. The mere shock of the situation had been enough to knock the breath out of him. "You're---..." he repeated again, but before he could finish, he looked from from his arm to see that the main body was stalking closer to him. That glowing red line faintly flashed...this time, plainly for Kazon to see.

"Ouspi!" Kazon finally screamed towards camp, frightened. At the same time, he pulled his pistol from it's holster with his left hand. He tried to aim a shot directly at that glowing red line that seemed to have been taunting him hoping he could kill it with a well placed shot. Before he could even get his finger to the trigger, he was cut off by a large, powerful fist that came upwards in motion, catching him under his chin and send him flying backwards into the mud. His gloved hand was so slippery from the moist blood that coated it from his already wounded arm that the pistol slipped from his grip and fell into the mud and began to it to sink through the surface.

Kazon landed on his back in the mud hard, the thick crud splashing around him as he collided with the ground. The blow had him reeling to be sure, but he managed to clinch he teeth together and roll over to his stomach. He turned around and looked back up to the monster through his mud covered hair. It had picked up it's pace and was heading right towards him again.

"Ah, shi--..." Kazon stopped himself though as he looked and saw his gun, steadily sinking into the mud just beyond the monster's feet. He looked back up at the monster as it got closer and closer to him. Kazon had seemed to had forgotten that his arm had nearly been bitten in two; he cupped both of his gloved hands into the mud and slinging a large pile of it right into that glowing red line head and that even more horrifying white face above it. The monster briefly set back, growling in anger, enough time for Kazon to roll through the beast's legs through the mud. The mud cause him to slip and slide, and he fell on his right arm, the sharp pain that shot through it reminding him of what the monster had done earlier. He winced as he forced himself to his knees and frantically scoured the thick puddle in search of his pistol. He sift though the mud with his fingers, hoping he could find it before the giant could recover from his trickery.

"Ouspi!!" he screamed again towards and he continued rummage through the mud. Where was he, Kazon thought? Why wasn't he coming to help him?

The monster persistence was too much for Kazon. It wildly and blindly slung it's body around to face him. Kazon was forced to stop his search for his weapon and quickly roll out of the way of a blind punch stomp from the angry monster's oversized foot. Kazon rolled into a crouched position with knee planted on the ground. He still clenched his wounded arm in pain as the blood continued to flow from the numerous teeth marks the little white face had left. The good news, as Kazon discovered, was that he wasn't in the mud hole anymore, but rather on the solid dirt that covered the trail he walked before. Those dark green eyes narrowed though his heavy breathing; this was his opening. As the monster continued to angrily wipe the mud from it's face, Kazon pushed himself from the ground with his good arm and charged at the monster at full speed. He let out a short, loud yell as he leaped gracefully into the air and extended one leg directly in front of him.

The monster had cleared that eerie red line across it's face from the mud with one last scrap of it's clawed hand. It looked up to see the heel of Kazon's boot bearing closer to it's face. It gave off another faint flash of that glowing red line as it reached up with a powerful hand just as the apprentice's foot neared it's face. The hand grabbed Kazon's ankle and with a fluid motion it swung Kazon by his leg over it's head slammed his entire body back down into the mud beneath them. Kazon's tried to scream out loud, anything, but his voice was muffled as his face buried into the thick puddle. He could feel his strength slowly leave his body and as he felt the monster grip on his ankle loosen and hear it give out an approving snarl, he lost himself in his weakness.

-- - -

It had rained a little since dawn had broke. The falling rain had made th entire area surrounding the mud hole it's equal as the planet was nothing but dirt to start with. A few beams of light from the planet's small sun had broken through gaps in the thick sheet of clouds. The radiant beam cascaded down to the spot on the mud hole where Kazon Locke laid motionless. Half of his face was buried beneath the mud but the light had managed to pass over his free eye. The brief feeling of warmth him to stir back to life it seemed, and he slightly trembled one open. For whatever reason it had, the monster had left him untouched after it's attack, he had noticed, but the headache he had it certainly didn't feel like it. The images of his encounter rushed through his mind, trying to recall everything that happened in that brief scuffle with his assailant.

He slid his left hand over the surface of the mud to his face. He pushed down hard, the mud sleeping between his fingers, trying to push his head from the mud. He realized that his mouth had been partially hidden beneath the mud when he let out a gasp and a cough for air. Or maybe he just hurt that much that he need the extra air. His wounded right arm had done the same as the other, only a bit more slower in speed, and managed to push his upper body from the puddle, bring his knees under him, and rest back on his heels. A sharp pain shot up his back as he let his arms fall down to his side but he could do nothing to help it he thought.

He flung his head back to his slouched shoulders and closed his eyes. He could feel the moistness in the air against his face, the side not covered in mud that is. He reached up and wiped in face with a gloved hand and then opened his eyes again. The sky seemed blurry to him, blurry and dark. The monster had obvious knocked him silly to the point of his vision gone cloudy. His remembered the thoughts of his ill-formulated attack. Kazon was quick, but the monster was quicker and simply tossed him around like a rag.

"That..." he mumbled between breaths, "...that was..." he could do nothing but repeat himself yet again. His head then hung low. Millions of thoughts began to swirl in his mind over what could have cause this to happen, or what he could have done to end it. But no, he though, he couldn't have beaten that thing he realized. Not even if he had an extra set of hands.

"Wait-..." his eyes shot open in sudden realization. He was an apprentice, he always had an extra hand. But this time they never showed up to save him. "Ouspi...!!"

Kazon shot up from the muddy puddle and stood to his feet. He still couldn't see very well but he wasn't going to let that stop from getting out of here. Off in the distance, he barely made out their campsite just before the horizon. The weary Kazon started to stumble out of the mud and hurriedly felt his way back to the camp.

The closer and closer he got to the site, the more his vision had returned to him though his head was still pounding. His aching limbs barely kept up with him as he nearly tripped over his own feet a few times along the way. He could see that the fire had been extinguished, either by the rain storm or....something else. One of the tents had also been knocked down. His tent. Also the closer he got to the to the camp the stench in the air grew heaver and heaver and much more potent than the wet dirt that surrounded him.

"Ouspi...?" the confused apprentice called out as he cautiously stepped within the cross they had designed with the tents and trees. He didn't receive an answer. Kazon the tree that he had sat across from the night before to support himself, rest his left hand against it's trunk. His tent had seemed to have collapsed, perhaps from the storm, but there was no way of him knowing. He couldn't hear Ouspi's usually obnoxious snoring from within his tent either. He went to take another step closer to the tents but his legs suddenly gave way beneath him. He managed to catch himself this his good arm and his knees before totally landing back in the wet soil. He looked back to see that he had fallen but tripped. Tripped over a crumpled wad of leather that lay on the ground at the base of the tree's trunk. "His coat..." Kazon mumbled, his eyes squinting slightly due to his blurry vision acting up on him again. He planted his hand down on the ground to push himself back to his feet, but something pushed against the leather palm of Kazon's glove. It was like he had planted down on a rock and he quickly jerked his hand back...only to gasp in terror as to what he found underneath.

It wasn't a rock at all, but a smooth, brass colored cylinder. Hollow. "Shells...?" Kazon said aloud. Bullet shells, to be exact. He gave the patch of dirt in front of Ouspi's tent a harder look, half-crawling closer and closer to the structure. Another one, he found. And another....

His breathing grew deeper and deeper, his fear growing with each shell he found. All of them emptied with light scorch marks tarnishing there surface. He didn't know how this was possible. That monster didn't have a gun with him, he though it didn't atleast, and his had sunk down in the mud. Ouspi hadn't carried a gun on jobs like this either and... footprints! Flanking the tent, leading off in the opposite direction from the mud hole were, footprints. Human footprints.

"_No_..." the denial raced through Kazon's mind. Looking up he found that he was directly in front of the tent's entry flap. His vision had returned, for the most part, unfortunately to see three separate hole scorched through the hide. Kazon gasped at the sight, quickly tossed the emptied shell aside the flap aside. All the air from Kazon's lungs seemed to had escaped him all in one moment. His mouth hung open in disbelief as he tried to find his breath again. But the sight that lay before him for his widened eyes to see prevented him...

The bottom of the inside of the tent was drenched in crimson along with sleeping bag that stretched from corner to corner. Blood. Dark coats of blood stained the base and had been splattered on the sides. Two sheathed katanas were tucked away partially under the bag, their leather wrapped casing, both, soaked in the bloody pool of what blood hadn't dried or saturated the hide.....but no Ouspi. Just the blood.

Kazon finally took in one gasping breath pushing himself away from the tent with enough jolting force to knock it over on it's side. He stumbled backwards onto his backside, trying to get away from the vision he had just seen before him. He pushed himself even further away with his feet, rapidly kicking up the wet dirt that surrounded him and, eventually, through the remnants of the fire that had previously lit the area. His breaths became more and more steady yet still labored, but he could not take he eyes away from the tent; eyes that began to swell with tears. He glance back over to the long coat that lay beneath the tree to his side, then quickly over to the footprints to the other, then falling woefully back on the tent. Ouspi...had to have been killed... but taken as well. He'd never leave that coat behind, he thought. Then the reality has set in his mind, and he ground his teeth together.

Kazon punched at the ground with a fist, his chin falling to his chest with closed eyes that had brimmed over with wet drops of moisture running down his muddy cheeks. "What does that matter...?!" he said brokenly, quietly through his sobs, referring to how his master never left that coat idle. Ouspi, himself was gone; shot, taken from him...and judging buy his tent, dead. He pulled his knees to his chest and covered his face with his arms. Whatever pain he still had coursing through his own body didn't seem to matter much anymore. They both had been set up, he thought, it was obvious for him to see now. That...monster, had separated the master from the apprentice. All they were doing, he regretfully recalled, was following the rules of the contract, so why did this have to happen to him? To Ouspi...? Then suddenly, Kazon's weeping as stopped.

The contract...

Slowly, his eyes, reddened from his tears and darkened from his sorrow from peered over his resting arms and through the muddy bangs that had fallen in his face. His brow had narrowed in fury, casting an even darker shadow over the green orbs. He looked past is all at the bloodstained tent. At the entry portal, the hilt of one of Ouspi's katanas had fallen past the flap of hide. He raise his face completely from it's hidden pose, sucking in air through his nose as he tried to hold back any more tears from rolling down his cheeks. He focused on the sword hilt as Ouspi's words had played through his thoughts, his questioning of trust that the he spoke of at the campfire last night. It was his mentor's trust that had gotten Ouspi in this position...and Kazon as well.

Kazon lowered his face again, a vengeful gaze as the fire in his eyes burned even greater as they remain steadily trained on the sword in the empty tent. Another tear poured over and dropped down his jaw line as he whispered softly, speaking to the tent as if he were actually his instructor...

"...to hell with your trust, Ouspi"

-- - -

_**Notes:**_

If you're confused. Let me explain myself. But rather than giving you some lengthy explanation, I'll try to make this short...

Ok, I stared this story when I was a freshmen in high school. Well, now I'm a college sophomore and, if 6 years of schoolin' did me anything, I'm a much better writer and know the importance of development. I read over this story and realized how much more I can do with this story now than I could ever do back then and I think that my first and favorite anime series of all time certainly deserves much more than how this story stands as now. I'm not going to totally change everything (_I.e.,: 'George Lucas'.... Hayden Christensen has no place in Return of the Jedi, damnit...) _just edit few things and add a few moments that will help thicken the relationships between the characters, two of them (_obviously_) in particular. My overall goal keep the original plot and spirit of the story the same, yet make even the more hardcore readers feel as if they're reading a totally new story.

The catch? Well, yes, there is one. Don't expect any more updates for a while. I would like to rewrite every episode and load it as a whole at the same time to keep with the flow. This was simply the 'teaser,' I guess, to give you an idea of what I want to accomplish. The catch to that? Well, yes, but a better catch: When I say as a whole, I mean the whole story including yet to be published ending. So by the next update, the entire story will be finished. How long that will take, I'm not sure. But I am working as fast as I can and have already begun work.

With that said though, I better get back to. Keep your eyes open and if you have any feedback, feel free to let me know.

**_-KM-_** (_Yeah, so I changed my pen name. No one's called me Kris-Sama!! in forever_.)


	2. Can't Catch A Break

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
  
**_Episode 1:_ _"CAN'T CATCH A BREAK"_**  
  


  
A lone Kreeper sped across the open deserts of Myce. Unlike the other Kreeper models, these one seemed to only be able to carry one pilot but in return, it was far more maneuverable. But the interesting thing about this sleek, gray hover vehicle was it's pilot.   
  
Inside the cockpit of the Kreeper, a built figure, obviously male, sat at the controls. This man's body was wrapped in a long, black, trench coat that was buttoned up to hide his bodily features. There were also two katanas attached to his back. His body not the only thing in hiding, his face was covered by a black and gray helmet with a black smoked visor, his head hung low.  
  
This dark figure sat there with his arms folded over his chest as the Kreeper flew across the desert sands on autopilot. The suddenly, a small computer screen flashed on the console, which caught the man's attention.  
  
"_Attention pilot of Kreeper Model X-71A..._" a robotic voice called from over the speaker system. The spoken words also ran through the screen. "_...The Kreeper is currently operating on automatic pilot and we are now 10km from the desired location._"  
  
"...go to manual." A low, raspy, but young, voice called from under the black helmet as his arms uncrossed and grasped the throttle and control stick with his gloved hands.  
  
"_...Confirmed. Thank you for using Tedan Tippedai S-7 Automatic Pilot Program. Now awaiting for further orders..._."  
  
As the screen shut down, the man pushed the throttle forward, sending the nimble Kreeper to an even more blinding speed.  
  


*****  
  


  
A young woman stood in the middle of the sandy street that ran right down the middle of the desert colony known as Sabaku. This young woman's maroon colored cloak began to bellow under the steady breeze that swept through the town, it also was kicking up sand around the woman's feet. Her only visible weapon was the large rifle which was held on by the strap that went all the way around her body. She let one arm move out of the cloak, it had an white armored plate that stretched from her elbow to the knuckles of her gloved hand. She ran her hand through her reddish-brown hair, sending her hairbeads clicking against each other, as her eyes, which were nearly the same hue as her hair, slowly glanced around at her surroundings.  
  
"...'wish these things would come out already...." She said softly to herself, along with a sigh of boredom.  
  
"Iria..." a computerized voice called out to the woman from the armor on her forearm. The young woman known as Hunter Iria, glanced down to   
the circular, risen plate on the armor as a holographic image of a sphere with two cones on either end was projected. "...has the town been evacuated yet?"  
  
Iria looked around at the town again. "Yeah Bob, I don't see anyone. It's like a ghost town. But who cares about that! Where are these things?! I've been standing here for last 10 minutes doing absolutely nothing!"  
  
"Calm down, Iria." The AI projection said as the 'eye' of the sphere looked around the town. "They should be around here somewhere. Just remember, these Zeiramiods are tough customers and there even more dangerous in numbers..."  
  
"Geez Bob, you act like I've never seen one before...." She said with a little grin crossing her lips.  
  
"Yeah...but you're still reckless around them....around anything for that matter." Bob responded, the cones spinning around a bit.  
  
"Yeah, whateve--" Iria was cut off by the sound of a growl, almost like the growl of a tiger, coming from the southeastern direction. Iria immediately turned to the sound and started to sprint towards it. "There they are!"  
  
"Wait! Iria, don't jumped to things--"  
  
"Shut up Bob!" she said as she slammed her hand down on the hologram, as it to shove it back in. "I plan on getting my pay for this job!" She reached back and pulled the rifle in front of her as she turned and ran behind one of the towns buildings.   
  
Just as Iria had turned the corner, a Kreeper pulled up and came to a stop where she was previously standing. The cock pit opened with a hiss a silver-metallic boot stepped down onto the sandy ground.  
  
  
Iria's back hugged against the wall as she peeked around the corner of the local general store. She saw five Zeiramoids digging through the trash dumpster. These beasts were a kinda pale, blue color, walking on all fours with their hind legs rather larger than the front. They had blue hair cascading down their spine, stopping at their long whip-like tail. The most frightening feature on these monsters were their lower jaws which stuck out farther than the upper jaw and had long fangs inching upward, passed it's nose. Iria watched as they growled at each other for trying to snag a bit of each other's lunch.  
  
"...this shouldn't be too hard." Iria said confidently, mainly to herself.  
  
"...you always say that." Bob said with a sigh.  
  
"Yeah, well...I only say it if I really mean it!" And with that she jumped from behind the corner, landing in a roll and coming to a crouching position as she snapped off a shot. The bullet caught one of the beasts in the neck, sending it flying into the dumpster, thus alerting the others.  
  
One of the other beasts growled and charged at Iria while another ran an arch to try and get her by the side. Iria fired shots at the one charging her, however the Zeiramoid was quick enough to dodge the bullets using it's own agility.  
  
"C'mon! Hit the damn thin--" Just then the one that came at her from the side leaped into the air and snagged the rifle away from her. She watched the weapon as it fell to the ground a few yards away from her, but before she could make a break to get it back, the monster that charged from the front nailed her, and pinned the young Hunter on the ground.  
  
The beast's fangs were mere inches away from her face as she tried to push the thing away with her hands around it's neck and from up under it's jaws. Her teeth were grinding together harshly as she knew she couldn't match strength with the snarling Zeiramoid.   
  
"I thought you said this would be easy?!" Bob's voice called out to her again.  
  
"Trust me, Bob. The last thing I need right now is your commentary...!" She said as the hand around it's neck moved away and pushed her cloak away from her hip. She pulled out her pistol and stuck it right into under the monster's jaw and fired. The heavy creature fell limp on top of her, forcing her to crawl out from under it. Then she realized her folly in positioning, she was know stuck in a corner with three livid Zeiramiods slowly stalking closer to her.   
  
"Any help here would be dandy, Bob..!" Iria said as she looked to the creatures one by one, pushing herself up to her feet. Moving backwards slowly into the corner.  
  
"Well...I could go ahead and call the undertaker if you'd like." Bob responded.  
  
"...well, thanks a lot. You're starting to get worse than Fujikuro..." She responded, aiming her pistol at one of the stalking predators. But before she could fire a shot, the Zeiramoid in the middle leaped into the air, aiming it landing right on her.  
  
Iria stood frozen in the corner. She knew if she were to go for the soaring beast, then ones on the ground would tear her apart, and vise versa. She was in a lose-lose situation at the moment, and the worse thing was that she knew it. She let her pistol drop from her hands as she watched as the flying monster, inching closer with every millisecond.  
  
"Iria! Do something!" Bob shout, trying to get her head back in the game. "Iria!!"  
  
She just stood there for a moment until she realized what was going on. She bent over and brought her knees to her chest and covered her  
head. Her reddish-brown eyes closed tightly and her teeth were grinding together as she waited for the inevitable.  
  
...just then...a man with a black helmet came sprinting from around the corner, his dark trench coat flowing behind him. After making his way toward them he, also, leaped into the air.  
  
"Iria, do something!!" Bob called out again.  
  
"I-I-I can't!"  
  
The Zeiramoid came within inches of Iria's body then -**BAM!**- The efforts of the creature's attack were shot down as the man with the black coat's foot connected to side of it's head, sending it flying off to the side.   
  
Iria's eyes opened and glanced up just in time to see the powerful hit. "What the--...who the--...?!?!"  
  
As the man's foot hit the ground from his flying kick, he shifted his weight and pushed off again in the opposite direction, dashing towards the other two creatures who were still trying to put together what just happened. The dark figure reached over his shoulder to pull out one of those katanas and with one fluid motion, he made a quick slash at the head of one of them, sending it back to the hell it came from. Then, continuing the same motion, he leaped over the second one, twisting in midair, and landed on the other side facing the beast while bringing the sword down with him. The end result was the man successfully hacking the creature in two.  
  
Iria watched in amazement at the stranger's movements. She stood up straight and watched him as made his way over to the rifle that was knocked out of her hands earlier. He sheathed the katana as he bent over to pick it up.  
  
"Hey! Wait a minute!" She called out to him with her eyes narrowed. "That's my gun!"   
  
"Iria..." Bob said in a way like he was trying to tell her something.  
  
"No way Bob! That's my gun! He can' ha--" She shut herself as she saw that he was aiming it right at her. She chuckled nervously and started to back away. "Wait, on second though, nevermind! You can have the old thing!"  
  
"Iria, behi--"  
  
"No, no Bob. He can have it. I don't want i--"  
  
During her ramblings, Iria failed to notice that the Zeiramoid the man had kicked was stirring behind her.  
  
Bob shouted out one last time. "Iria, get out of the way!"  
  
The dark man fired a shot from the rifle and Iria's eyes widened to the size of grapefruits as she hurled herself out of the way as the bullet passed by her and wizzed right through the beast's head. The Zeiramoid fell to the ground for the last time as the man lowered his sights.  
  
Iria pushed herself up from the sand and looked over to the fallen creature, then back to the man. "You creep! Why didn't you say something?! You could've killed me!" The man said nothing as he tossed the weapon down to the ground beside her, then he turned around and slowly began to walk away.  
  
"Hey, hold on!!" She called out to him as she pushed herself up...again and ran after him. "Will ya wait up!" She was hurrying as fast as she could to catch up, that is until...  
  
"Forgetting something....?" Bob's voice called out to her again. Iria stopped and let out a frustrated sigh as she turned around and ran back to get the pistol she dropped earlier.  
  
The man was sitting in his Kreeper, tapping a few buttons as Iria finally came around the corner, screaming from him to wait. When she made it to his Kreeper, she was breathing heavy and needed to prop herself up against the vehicle.  
  
"Hey..." She said in-between breaths. "I didn't....catch..your name...?" The man just continued to press a few buttons here and there. It was then when she caught a glance of the necklace he wore around his neck. "You're a Hunter...?" She asked curiously as she eyed the black pendent, but got nothing in return from the man. Now she was irritated.  
  
"Hello..?! I'm talking to y--AHH!" She was cut off as the cockpit closed quickly, surprising her to where she ended up falling backwards into the sand.   
  
"Why, I oughta..." but once again, before she could say anything else, the Kreeper sped off and left Iria in a cloud of dust. "JERK!!"  
  
"...like I said...you're _still_ completely reckless."   
  
"...can it, Bob." She responded in a tired manner. She fell back into the sand with her arms stretched out and let out a deep sigh.  
  
"...I'm never gonna catch a break...."  


  
******************  


  
  


**_NEXT TIME!!:_**   
After her strange encounter with the silent man in a helmet, it's time for Iria to head home and get her payment. She also receives a new job offer. What is it...? Check back to find out this and more in **_IRIA: TSoS:_ Episode 2 '_The Early Bird'_!!!**  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Early Bird

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
**_Episode 2: "THE EARLY BIRD"_**  


  
  
"Hey kid!" Fujikuro yelled as he poked his head into through the door that lead to the garage. "How long does it take to fix a Dempadan anyway!? I'm turnin' gray here!"  
  
"Just gimme a minute, ok! I'm almost done!" A young girl's voice called out from behind a wielders mask, then went back to her repair work on the flying machine.  
  
"Yeah, well hurry up! I plan on going out on the town tonight and I need my favorite ride." He said with a small grin as he turned around and closed the door to the garage, making his way into the living room.  
  
The girl lifted the mask away from her face, revealing her fiery red hair and those big, blue eyes with the small bandage across her left cheek, mostly for decoration. It was Kei, and she sneered at the door. "It wasn't for your nightly outings', I wouldn't have to keep fixing it....jerk."  
  
Then, on a small computer screen on that was sitting on the desk, a slightly more ornate projection of Bob's AI appeared. "Good afternoon Kei..."  
  
Kei jumped a little from the surprise, then glanced over to the screen. "Oh, hey Bob. How'd the job go?"  
  
"It went..." he responded rather disappointed as he twirled around a bit.  
  
Kei chuckled softly. "That bad, huh? Well, that's Iria for ya..."  
  
"I suppose so." Bob said. "Have you seen Fujikuro around?"  
  
"Yeah, he's inside..."She said as she pulled the mask down and went back to her work. "...and you can tell him that I'm charging him for this one!"  
  
Bob laughed softly. "Right..." Then the picture on the screen faded to black.  
  


*****  


  
Fujikuro had plopped down onto the couch, propping his booted feet on the short table in front of him as he flipped on the television. The scruffy, middle-aged Hunter hadn't changed in a year. He still had that green-tipped, black hair and the stubby beard. Most of all, he was still as arrogant as ever. He sat there and watched a news broadcast of a woman standing behind a podium addressing the people of Myce.  
  
On the large screen of the giant supercomputer that was built into the wall, Bob once again appeared. Fujikuro caught a glance of the screen for a moment then looked back to the news. "So how'd it go...?"  
  
"It was a bit unprofessional, but the job got done. Iria's getting paid directly from Tedan Tippedai so she's at their main office to pick up her bounty right now...It's only 5000 Kem though. Not a lot for a job like this, but we could always use the money."  
  
" 'A bit unprofessional'...?" Fujikuro repeated him with a arrogant grin. "What? Iria blow the whole colony away?"  
  
"No...she got some help from an anonymous donor...some guy."  
  
"...really? What's his outfit? Gounbak Security?"  
  
"No. He didn't say anything, but he was defiantly a Hunter..."  
  
"A quiet Hunter, eh...?"   
  
The AI twirled abit. "...do you think it's '_him_'...?"  
  
"No clue," Fujikuro said as he watched the TV closely. He watched as the woman stepped back and man approch the podium. This man had shoulder length, dirty blonde hair with a few thin bangs falling in front of his pale iris colored eyes. Fujikuro sighed softly..."Ah....! Not this guy again!"  
  
"_Good people of Myce City.._." The man opened up his speech. "_As you all know by now, I'm Kross Tsutomegi, the new Vice-president of the Tedan Tippedai Corporation. It's been almost one year since the Tedan Tippedai and Administration's armies wiped out the threat of the evil Zeiram creature.._."  
  
"Please...!" Fujikuro said in a outrage. "Give a guy a little power and he goes off telling stories! We were the real heroes that day!"   
  
"Be quiet, let him talk..." Bob said as Kei walked in, wiping her hands off with a towel.  
  
"_...recently, our world is now battling yet another feasible threat. These...clones of Zeiram, these Zeiramoids, are appearing left and right while reeking havoc across our city and beyond. Naturally, the new President of Tedan Tippedai, Mr. Puttubayh, and myself are currently undergoing plans to cleanse the world of these vile creatures. However, due to the amount of capital involved, a few new taxes must be put in place to fund our cause. In return though, once the dust has settled, Myce will be reborn as the peaceful planet it was meant to be."_  
  
"Sheesh...give a guy a little power and look what he does with it. He's just looking to line his pockets with gold." Fujikuro said as he turned the channel. "And with that idiot Puttubayh as the president now, he can do pretty much whatever he wants."  
  
"But there's one thing I don't understand." Kei said and sat on the couch next to him. "We destroyed Zeiram and his beacon that called all the Zeiramoids from the other galaxies, so why are they still here?"  
  
"Got me kid..."  
  
"It's possible that Zeiram could have placed more beacons elsewhere on the planet. But if that where so, Administration would have found them by now," Bob added.  
  
"Yeah, and what's worse," Fujikuro went on, "these guys are smarter than the last batch. It's like they've evolved or somethin'. But atleast now some of them can be killed with regular bullets."  
  
"Yeah...but I still don't get it..." Kei said as she leaned back on the couch.   
  
"Well...that Kross guy's right about one thing..." Fujikuro said as his arms reached back behind his head. "...with all the Kem their gonna suck up for their 'plans', you can probably bet that our pay's gonna crash too...if you know what I mean."  
  
"What do you mean by that...?" Kei asked curiously.  
  
"Don't be so dense! I mean that I got a feeling that they won't even pay Iria for what she did today. Budget cut or not, I just think that something's gonna go down and they won't pay her..."  


  
*****  


  
"**What do ya mean you won't pay me!!!**" Iria shouted as she slammed her fist down on the receptionist desk at the Tedan Tippedai building. "I did what your bosses told me to do and the job got done! So what's the deal?!"  
  
"Like I told you before, miss..." The man behind the counter said as he pushed his glasses up on his nose a little. He did look a bit nerdy. "You must remember that the contract was open to all available Hunters and someone has already claimed the bounty..."  
  
"That can't be!?" Iria shouted again. By now she had the attention of the entire floor. "I was the only one to sign up for this job this morning! You can't just give money away to people who don't even have proof of what they did!"  
  
"Actually another person signed for it this morning after you and he did have proof: An audio record of the entire mission via a Mini-Comm. There was a young woman's voice in the background. You perhaps?"   
  
Iria's eyes widened slightly as she figured out who exactly he was talking about. She was so aggravated and frustrated that her face turned completely red and she began to speak through her grinding teeth. "Did this guy have a black coat on..?"  
  
The man was trying hard not to giggle at the comical scene before him. "Yes, I believe he did. He left just a few minutes ago also. 'The early bird gets the worm' I believe the old saying goes."  
  
Iria couldn't hold her frustration back anymore, rearing back and kicking the desk as hard as she could. She was swindled again a la Fujikuro-Style. "Damn it! Now listen here...!" She hollered as a gloved hand emerged from the maroon cloak, reaching over the desk and grabbed the man by the collar. As she jerked him closer, the man couldn't help but let out a geeky whimper as she saw the narrowed eyes and sneer on  
the Hunter's face. "Your bosses better pay me something for killing off a few of those things or I might do something I'll probably regret later!"   
  
"Please Miss, calm down! There's nothing more we can do! Our budget's running low enough right now to try to get rid of these Zeiramoids. We just don't have the money!" The man said jumping back a little as she let him go. "If you keep your hands and feet to yourself, I'll see if I can find more information for you." He said as he turned to his computer for a minute.   
  
"Let's see... the Sabaku Mining Colony mission, huh." He clicked on a few things as the red-faced Iria watched on. "Yes, here it is. The bounty of 5,000 Kem was given to registration No. 9965-3, that would be...." He looked deeper into the files, ".....9965-3...that would be Hunter Kazon Locke."  
  
Iria's head tilted to the side slightly as she repeated his words, "... 'Kazon Locke'...? Is there anything else on him."  
  
"Apparently nothing I have access to. It appears that his files are under the highest security measures."  
  
"..._'Kazon Locke...9965-3..._." Iria thought to herself. "_I need to go see Bob..._"  


  
*****  


  
Thirty minutes had passed when Iria pulled her Kreeper into the garage and hopped out. As she headed to the door, she pulled a small button on the wall that made the Kreeper automatically stand upright. She pushed the door open and made her way inside, seeing that Fujikuro was still lounging lazily on the couch watching the television. She couldn't see Kei, but she was most likely in the kitchen preparing dinner for the  
trio.  
  
Fujikuro glanced over to Iria as she came in. "Hey...Iria. How'd it go with the bounty?" Then he watched with a dumbfounded look on his face as she marched right past him, mumbling obscenities to herself. Fujikuro blinked a few times. "Is that a good sign...or a bad sign...?"  
  
"They didn't pay me..." Iria mumbled softly as she hung her rifle on a rack, her back towards him.  
  
"What do you mean they didn't pay you?!" Bob said, twirling a bit on his computer screen.  
  
"HA!" Fujikuro said, almost proud of himself. "I told ya so!"  
  
Kei heard what was going on and stormed out of the kitchen. "Yeah! I mean the job got done, right?!"  
  
"That guy in black got there first." She said as she turned around and removed her maroon cloak, hanging it up beside the rifle. She made her way over to the couch in her navy blue body suit and sleek white armor. "And thanks to that new Vice-president's budget plans, I didn't even get one Kem for killing two of those things."  
  
"Typical Tedan Tippedai....I'm starting to really not like this Kross guy..." Kei said, leaning back against the door frame. "So did they tell you anything else?"  
  
"I don't really wanna to talk about it..." Iria said as she plopped down on the couch beside Fujikuro, her elbows resting on her knees and propping her chin his her hands. "They didn't have a lot to say..."  
  
"Oh..." Kei said as the room fell silent. For about a minute, the only audible thing was the television. Then, finally, Iria spoke...  
  
"Bob...I want you find some data on someone for me."  
  
Fujikuro grinned wildly as he streched his arms out a bit and let out a yawn. "Aw...Iria wants info on someone? You gotta crush on some poor guy?!"  
  
"Shut up, will ya..." Iria said as lifted one of her elbows and jabbed him in the ribs with it, rather hard too.  
  
"Ow!!" Fujikuro yelped a bit and rubbed his side a little. Then he flashed that grin once again. "...heh heh, I love it when ya play rough with me...!"  
  
"Anyway...!" Bob interrupted. "Who do you want me to look for, Iria?"  
  
The young Hunter turned her attention back to the computer screen. "... 'Kazon Locke, Registration #9965-3'...." Bob and Fujikuro immediately fell silent, looking towards Iria wide-eyed...well, at least Fujikuro was wide-eyed....  
  
Iria and Kei looked back and forth between the two. "What?" Kei asked. "You two heard of him...?"  
  
"Huh...? Oh!" Fujikuro quickly shook it off, as did Bob. "Ah, it's nothing. We've just heard some stories about him, that's all."  
  
Iria glanced over to him from the corner of her eye. "So, is he an old, perverted geezer like you?"  
  
Fujikuro scratched his head and chucked nervously while waving her off. "No, no..it's not that! It's just--"  
  
"In any case," Bob interrupted yet again, "...I'll have it for you when you get back."  
  
" 'Get back'...?" Iria asked with an arched brow. "Get back from where?"  
  
"A new contract was just put out..." Bob said as the image of a paper flashed onto the screen. The page was covered in Mycian handwriting.   
  
Iria let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned back on the couch. "Gimme a break, Bob! No more jobs for now, ok...?!"  
  
"It's addressed directly for you..." Bob went on, "...by Dr. Touka."  
  
"Dr. Touka?!" Iria said as her face lit up. "He's still around on Myce? What's the objectives?"  
  
Bob chuckled a bit. "I'd figured you'd be interested. Well, it doesn't say anything about the mission on the contract, but he does want to meet up with you. Except he doesn't want you to come to his lab at the Tedan Tippedai building, I guess to avoid security. He wants to meet at a bar in Sector A-3..."  
  
"What?!" Fujikuro screamed aloud. "Sector A-3.... 'The Outrigger'?!"  
  
"If that's what it's called, then yes." Bob responded.  
  
"That place is nuts?! Why go there?!?"  
  
Kei grinned a bit. "And how do **you** know about this place Fujikuro? You go there whenever you 'go out on the town'?!"  
  
"Shut up, brat!!" Fujikuro screamed in his outrage, throwing one of the small, decorative pillows at her, which she easily dodged. "All I'm trying to say is that place gets too rough! I'm not gonna let Iria go there all alone!"  
  
"She won't be alone..." Bob said, shutting Fujikuro up. "Dr. Touka wouldn't put Iria in that kind of situation so he's also notified another Hunter he knew from around Toawajon to assist her."  
  
"So I'll have a partner?" Iria asked curiously.  
  
"Right. You are to go to the bar and meet up with the other Hunter, then head inside to look for Touka. He'll fill you in on the rest one you meet him."  
  
"Now hold on!" Fujikuro said standing up his arms waving around in the air. "Who said she can go?! If Gren was still around, he'd kill me if I let her go to a place like that. And with a stranger?! Hell no!!"  
  
"...Touka's willing to pay 10,000....up front...." Bob added, making Fujikuro's eyes grow to the size of grapefruits.  
  
"...10-10-10,000....?!" He mumbled as he glanced over to Iria who was still sitting. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for?!"  
  
"Wha--...?" Iria watched him as he scurried over to the rack where she hung her rifle and cloak. He took the items down and ran back to her, shoving them into her arms. "What are you doing Fujikuro?!"  
  
"Don't just sit there!" He exclaimed, pulling her to her feet and pushing her towards the door. "There's money to be made!!"  
  
"B-b-but... I thought you said this place was dangerous..?!" Kei said as she watched in confusion.  
  
"Ah, C'mon! She's a big girl! She can handle it! Right Iria...?!"  
  
"B-but...I--"  
  
"See! I told ya! If some drunk touches ya, you can shoot 'em!" He said as he pushed her out the door into the garage and waved to her. "Have a nice trip Iria!!" Then he closed the door on her.  
  
Iria's eyes narrowed as she was left standing there holding her stuff in her arms. "Greedy jerk!" She said as she kicked the door and then turned toward the Kreeper. "... 'don't know why I even put up with him..."  
  
"Well then, now that that's taken care of!" Fujikuro said as he grinned to himself. He then looked over to Kei who was giving him a rather harsh look. "What..!?"  
  
"...jerk."  
  
Fujikuro walked back over to Bob's computer screen, looking a tad bit more serious. " So it was '_him_' that helped her, eh...?"  
  
"Yeah." Bob responded. "Why else would she bring it up like that?"  
  
"Who?" Kei cut in. "You mean that 'Kaz' guy?"  
  
"None of your business, Shorty. Atleast not for now." Fujikuro responded as he walked into the kitchen. "So...when's dinner...?!"  
  
  


***********************   


  
  


**_NEXT TIME!!_**:   
It's time for Iria to hit the bar scene with her asigned partner and search of Dr. Touka! But what information does ol' 'Grandpa' have in store for her? This and more in **_IRIA: TSoS: _Episode 3 '_Just Call Me _**'**Kaz**''!!  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Just Call Me 'Kaz'

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Writen by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrous Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
**_Episode 3: "JUST CALL ME 'KAZ'"_**  


  
The door of the elevator slid open as Kross Tsutomegi entered an office on the top floor of Tedan Tippedai Headquarters. He wore an ornate, sleeveless, white tunic over a navy blue shirt, armored plates upon his shoulders. His forearms were covered with a pair of gray colored greaves with black gloves on his hands. He also wore a pair of baggy, navy blue pants which where tucked into his gray boots. To top it all off, a short, red cape, which was attached only to the left shoulder armor, cascaded down to about his wrist, adding a bit of a regal flare.  
  
Of course, one must look regal if he wanted to enter the office of the new Tedan Tippedai President, Mr. Puttubayh. The jet-black haired president sat behind his desk, looking out the window at the setting sun of Myce. Kross approached the desk, brushing a gloved hand through his dirty-blonde hair.  
  
"...Touka's not in his lab." Kross said as he finally made it to the desk, gaining Puttubayh's attention in the process. "None of the other scientists saw him leave either...or so they say."  
  
Puttubayh turned his chair to face the young Vice-president with a small grin. "Well, we should have expected something like this from that old geezer. He is associated with that girl, you know."  
  
Kross returned the grin as his arms folded over his chest in a casual manner. "Do you think he's on to us...? It wouldn't be good it our plans were to be spoiled so soon by the old man."  
  
Puttubayh chucked softly as he stood up from the chair and walked around his desk. "Touka is of no concern to us. Even if he were to hire someone to do his dirty work, we would be there to take them down before they could carry out anything! Soon, we will revive 'him' and then we will gain his complete submission. Then not only will we be able to control 'him', but also his clones! Just think about it! Our own endless army!"   
  
Kross' brow arched slightly. "We will gain control of him...? And I thought that he was killed by that female Hunter...that girl? How can we bring something back from the dead?"  
  
"Ha ha....Full of Questions, I see. Don't worry my boy, all will reveal itself in due time. You just keep a pretty face towards the public and I will deal with everything else."  
  
"Yes sir..."  
  
"Good. Now, I have a meeting I must attend. Keep an eye out for Touka though. He may not be a threat now, but I will not have my plans foiled again. Also call the team at the Bachnia Center and make sure that those Zeiramoid beacons stay intact." He walked over to Kross, placing his hand on his armored shoulder. "If things go as we planned, we will have the world---no! The universe at our fingertips!" With that he turned towards the elevator and the door slid closed behind him.  
  
Kross watched him and grinned as he made his way around the desk. "Bring back Zeiram, eh, Old man...?" He sat down in the large chair propping his boots up on the desk. "If can be done, then yes, we will be the most power force in the entire universe! But there's one thing you're forgetting, Mr. President...." He said with a darkened, evil smirk, "...the universe isn't big enough for the two of us..."  
  


*****  


  
Iria pulled up into the parking lot of a rather large building called 'The Outrigger', a bar which was notorious for hosting the most vile and despicable citizens of Myce. With just one glance at the place, the young Hunter could tell she was already in over her head. Just in the parking lot, she saw groups of thugs gathering around, most either rolling dice on the pavement or dealing numerous narcotics to the highest bidder. There were many, scanty-clad women who were, from Iria's point of view, probably out to gain a few Kem from a lucky customer that might walk by. Dempadan gangs, prostitution, fights already breaking out, drug use...and hey, that was, once again, just the parking lot.  
  
"Damn Bob...what the hell have you gotten me in this time?" Iria said softly as she slowly drove the Kreeper around, looking for a spot to park.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't worry as long as stay inside the Kreeper...you might want to put the shields up while you're at it."  
  
"Well, thanks. That's real reassuring....!" she responded sarcastically as she parked the Kreeper off in the corner of the lot, away from most of the action.  
  
"Just remember..."Bob went on. "Try to keep a low profile. I'm sure that some of these people don't like to be in the company of outsiders. After all, you are somewhat of an authority figure..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah....I know." She said as he hopped out of the vehicle, grabbing her rifle in the process. "I can take care of myself..."  
  
"Good, then I leave you to your work then..."  
  
Iria's face went pale as she looked down to her armored forearm, seeing that holographic image of the AI pop up. "What are you talking about?! You can't leave me here alone!"  
  
"You want me to hack those files on that Hunter for you, right? I can't be in two places at once, you know that. You partner will be around soon so just lay low until then. I'll check back with you in a while, ok?"  
  
"B-but Bob--!!" Iria shouted, gaining the attention of a few bar patrons off in the distance.  
  
"No buts. You'll do fine." Bob said. "Good luck and stay out of trouble."   
  
"W-w-wait--!!" But she was too late and the hologram faded away. Iria let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned back against the side of the Kreeper. "Damn...." She looked around once again, seeing what was considered Myce's filth at work. She noticed that a few people were still staring at her with dumbfounded looks, but she just chuckled nervously and gave them a little wave.   
  
Just then, about ten yards off, a small, sleek, gray Kreeper came to a stop in front of the young Hunter. Iria's brow arched as she watched the cockpit hatch open slowly. Then she let out a gasp as a male figure, donning a long, black trench coat and black helmet leaped out into the asphalt parking lot. Yes, it was **Hunter Kazon Locke**...._the soul of silence_.  
  
"Wha--!! You...!!! Again!?!?!" Iria shouted, steam nearly coming out her ears. "You're the old fart that swerved me out of my pay!! Please don't tell me I have to work with **you** now!!" The dark figure only gave her a quick glance before turning back to the Kreeper, removing his two katanas from a cargo container and strapping them to his back.   
  
Iria was furious and red faced now. "Hey!! Are you even listening to me!" She began to march up to the man with authority. "Now, look here you old geezer, I'm not ab--" then Iria stopped, because it was then, with his back turned to her, Kazon began to remove that black helmet.  
  
She gazed at him with wide eyes as he slowly removed the helmet, revealing that he wasn't a gray haired old man at all. His dark brown hair tumbled out of the helmet with those unorthodox bangs, more prominent on the right side, and 6 red and black hair beads behind his left ear. The hair towards the back of his head was pulled into a short ponytail. Iria could hear him let out a soft sigh, as if to breathe in the fresh air he was deprived of while being in the helmet. He tossed the helmet back into the cockpit and then turned to face the awestruck Iria. Instead of a pale, old, wrinkly visage she thought was behind the visor, she saw his young, flawless face of an amber skin tone.   
  
Kazon ran a gloved hand through his thick hair, as those icy, hunter green orbs dove directly into her own reddish-brown eyes, causing her to let out a small gasp. Even from a few feet away, she could see the cold bitterness encased in those eyes, as if they were swirling with countless thoughts, making this dark man even more mysterious.  
  
Iria continued to stare blankly. "_H-he....he's...._" she thought to herself, but even her own thoughts were jumbled. The redness of her face was no longer cause by anger, but now because she was blushing. "Are-are-a-are you...my partner...?" Iria asked still wide-eyed and fumbley. "Did Dr. Touka send you a contract too?"  
  
"....Iria, right...?" Kazon asked in a bit of a low, raspy voice. She nodded slightly as his eyes remained trained on hers, there haunting presence nearly sending chills down her spine. Kazon noticed her continuous staring as he spoke again. "...got a problem?"  
  
"Huh...? Oh!" She quickly shook her head. "No, no! Of course not!" She said with a nervous chuckle, then she got a bit quieter. "You're just...not what I expected. You are...Kazon Locke...?" Iria asked, "...aren't you?"  
  
"....just call me Kaz." He said as he finally broke the stare and glanced over to the front door of The Outrigger. Iria nodded again, but then she realized how she was talking to. Mysterious, cute, or whatever, that still couldn't change the fact that he had cheated her out of her bounty....in her mind at least.  
  
"Yeah, well that was a cheap stunt you pulled earlier today. I had that situation under complete control until you showed up! Then you just had to go and claim the glory for yourself!" Kazon stood silently, still keeping his eyes on the door. It was like he was in his own little world from her point of view. "Hello!!" Iria shouted at him and then she just shrugged looking away. "Great...now you act like you're deaf again...!" she said, mainly to herself. "I know you can hear me, you je--"  
  
"Tell me...." Kazon said above her to cut her off. His commanding voice easily shut her up long enough to where he could say something.   
  
"Wha--...?" A now clueless Iria looked back to him.  
  
"...did you hesitate and drop your guard against Zeiram like you did in Sabaku...?"  
  
"You know about Zeiram!!" She asked, but the only response she got from him was his arms slowly folding over his chest. "Tch...Yeah, you've got a marvelous personality!" She said sarcastically. Then she gave him a little smirk. "Besides...its not like you know what it's like to fight Zeiram...!"   
  
Her arrogant grin, however, was swept away in an instant as Kazon's eyes finally snapped back at her quickly, making her jump back a little. That icy and seemingly emotionless stare dove right into her eyes, but this time, the gaze was was different. It was like he would lash out on her in a second if she didn't take the remark back. After boring holes through her for a brief moment, he simply shook his head as a turned to the building as head towards the door, his hands sliding down into his coat pockets. "...whatever. Let's just get this over with...Touka's waiting."  
  
"H-hey! Wait up!" Iria called out as she ran to his side. "Now you tell me, how do you know Dr. Touka?"  
  
Kazon continued to walk, giving a quick glance to the thugs that were scattered about the lot. Normally, Kazon wouldn't answer such questions, because he was always taught not to ask or listen to questions about a job. In this case, however, working with another person, he decided to give Iria a little information...  
  
"_...maybe it'll shut her up,_" he thought. "I meet him on Toawajon a few years ago..." He responded aloud. Short, but to the point.  
  
"Well, then how old are you?" Iria asked rather curiously.  
  
"_...just like a child._" Kaz though to himself. "_They never know when to mind thier own business..._" The dark Hunter simply shook his head as he automatic door slid open for them. "My age isn't important. All that matters now is finding Touka..."  
  
"...you're no help." Iria scoffed as she walked in behind him. She took her eyes off Kazon for a moment to look around at her new surroundings. Structure-wise, the large room consisted of a ground floor then balcony with two flights of stairs on either side of the room leading up to it. But as for patrons and their effect on the atmosphere, however, weren't as simple...  
  
The dark, smoke filled room set off a gloomy feel to it. There were a few lights over the bar and a couple over a few of the scattered tables. Hoodlums sat at those tables and at the long stretched bar, either smoking, playing a hand of cards, men seeing what kind of action they can get into for the night. Not Myce's most glamorous people either. The entire room was crowded and over flowing dirty, leather bound thugs along with their slinky, scanty-clad women. They were all overly loud, crude, rude...a family get-together this was not.  
  
"How are we gonna find him in a place like this...?!" Iria said to Kazon, glancing around to the hordes of chattering people around them. "It's a mad house!"  
  
Kazon's deep green orbs slowly peered around the room, glancing up to the balcony. "Just keep a low profile, don't let anyone get the impression that you're a Hunter." He glanced around again as Iria looked over to him. She found his seriousness to his work rather odd. After all, she had been living with Fujikuro for the past year...  
  
"So what now...?" Iria asked again.  
  
"Split up. You take the top floor. If you find him first, get whatever information he has then meet up with me in the parking lot..." Kazon responded his hands leaving his pockets and came to a crossed position over his chest.  
  
Iria couldn't help but to grin a little. "And what if you find him first, huh...?"  
  
Kazon gave her a quick glance before walking away from her. "Then that's your loss..." Then he was gone, weaving his way through the crowd.  
  
Iria let out a soft sigh as he began to make her way to one of the staircases. "Figures..." She began to climb up the stairs slowly and cautiously. She glanced over the rail to see if she could spot Kazon in the crowd, but could see nothing of him.  
  
"_Man..._" She thought to herself. "_...he so serious about his work...but...at the same time it's like he defies it. He's....he's like Gren...well, in a way. Gren wasn't such an asshole! I wonder why Kazon is like that...? But still...he's...still..... ....so..._" She shook off the thought as she reached the top of the stairs. "_C'mon Iria! Get it together! You gotta find Dr. Touka._"   
  
Iria stood there for a minute as her reddish-brown eyes glanced around the balcony floor. Fortunately, it wasn't as crowded and full of action as the level below her, but it still contained the same types of people. She decided to walk around a bit to get a better view of her surroundings. A few of the more drunker men tried to get her attention as she strolled along, looking for Touka, but she some how managed to ignore them. After all, she didn't want to have to shoot anyone for touching her...as Fujikuro stated before she left home.  
  
Then she caught a glance of an old, gray haired man sitting at a table alone from the corner of her eye. "_Dr. Touka?_" she thought. Yes, it was the old doctor she used to know, and nothing about him had changed. He sat there in a darkened corner with his arms folded over his chest with an irritated look in his eyes. Iria smiled to herself as she stood there watching the old man, "_Still as impatient as ever. Well, better get this over with..._" And then she made her way over to him.  
  
"You're late..." The doctor said with a stern voice as Iria approached him. "I've wasted the last half-hour of my life in this cesspool because of you decided to take your sweet time!"  
  
Iria casually shrugged her shoulders as she took a seat across from him. "Well your the one who wanted to come to this place...I'm just following orders. And it's not my fault I'm late. You can blame that on the 'Speechless Wonder' you linked up with me."  
  
"Yes, well..." Touka glanced around, his eyes moving to both staircases. "Where is Hunter Locke, anyway? You were supposed to stay together."  
  
"He's supposed to be downstairs looking for you..." She responded with another shrug. "But with his attitude, he's probably already given up and left."  
  
Touka grinned a bit. "No, Kazon would never abandon a job offer. He's a very determined worker to say the least, although he still is a bit defiant. That boy's as tough as they come, well...after everything he's been through...who wouldn't?"  
  
Iria's brow arched slightly as she propped her elbows on the tabletop. "What do you mean by that...?"  
  
"Let's just say he's been through things that would make a normal man turn gray..."  
  
"Like you...?" Iria said with a mischievous smirk. "....'**Grandpa**'..."  
  
Touka's eyes narrowed slightly at that nickname which was so humbly bestowed upon him one year ago. "I see you still don't know how to watch your tongue. Respecting your elders must mean nothing to you!" He shook his head as he took two small briefcases from off the floor and set them on the table. "In any case, here's yours and Locke's payment. 10,000 for each of you, up front like I promised. Although I don't think **you** deserve it."  
  
"Yeah, whatever Grandpa...but there's something I don't get." She said as he rest her chin in her hands. "Why exactly did you tell us to meet you here instead of going to Tedan Tippedai HQ?"  
  
"Yes, that's exactly why I called you here. Those higher-up weasels in the Tedan Tippedai Corporation have something up their sleeves." He said as he took the briefcases and set them back on the floor, away from peering eyes. "I wanted to meet you here because if I called you inside the main office, surely they would have caught on to me and sent in security. Plus this was the closest place where no one would interfere."  
  
"Yeah, that's what Bob thought too." She said. "But what are they planning to do...? Who's all involved?"  
  
"As you're probably know by now, President Puttubayh and Vice-president Tsutomegi are putting new taxes in order, correct?"  
  
"Yeah, it's on the television all the time now..."  
  
"Yes, well, they are using the money they receive from them to fund in their new so-called 'Zeiramoid Extermination Project', when in fact...Tedan Tippedai have been the ones calling the Zeiramoid all along and are putting all the money they gain from taxes into the _real _project!"  
  
"**_What?!_**" Iria's shouted as her eyes widened and her fist slammed down on the table. She got a few stray looks of confusion from the other patrons, but they quickly lost attention.  
  
"Settle down!" Touka said quietly. "The last thing we need is to cause a commotion...!"  
  
"What do you mean Tedan Tippedai's the blame for the Zeiramoids?!" She said in a more quieter voice. "Don't they know what kind of Hell they put the people through with those things on the loose?!"  
  
"I'm the head of the science team you know. For the past couple of weeks, Puttubayh has made us construct these artificial Zeiram beacons from the DNA of the killed Zeiramoids using the information we gained on the beacon one-year ago. They're being held in a lab far away from the city. By using these, they plan to call the Zeiramoids to Myce from the ends of the universe where they will carry out they're _ultimate agenda_...."  
  
"Ultimate agenda...?" Iria asked.  
  
"Vice-president Tsutomegi has given Puttubayh the thought of running the planet by a fear factor. If they can intimidate the people to the point that they are too afraid to resist, then they will be the most powerful force the galaxy has ever seen. No one would dare stand in their way."  
  
"Puttubayh?! **HA**!" Iria said almost with bursting with laughter. "That shrimp couldn't intimidate his own refection in the mirror!"  
  
"N-no....that's not what I mean."  
  
"Huh...?" Iria said with a arched brow.  
  
"They're calling the Zeiramoids here because they intend to gain control of them and form and army that basically will replenish themselves. But the only way to do that is to--"  
  
"--revive Zeiram so he can control them." Iria's face went pale for a moment. "They're not--!!"  
  
"Yes..." Touka nodded slowly. "They are. But not necessarily 'revive' him. Using the same techniques use to create the beacons, they are taking the DNA of the Zeiramoids and, through the process of genetic engineering, they will construct a living organism that is a direct duplicate of that brutish creature, Zeiram. That is what they'll use for intimidation...."  
  
"Bring back Zeiram....? Doesn't Puttubayh know by now that Zeiram can't be controlled?! He's tried it once already and look what happened!!" She said quietly as thoughts of her past battles the beast rushed through her mind. Thoughts of the unkillable butcher that haunted her dreams and....Gren... "Is there any thing we can do to stop them...?"  
  
Touka grinned as he pulled out a folded piece of paper and slid it across the table to her. "This is a map to the Bachnia Center where the experiments are being held. Tomorrow morning, I want you and Hunter Locke to head out there and destroy those beacons and put an end to the new Zeiram Project as well. Be careful though. I don't know how much of the new Zeiram model is complete...."  
  
Iria took the map and gave the doctor a funny look. "You want me and the stiff to work together...? You got to be kiddin' me!"  
  
"Oh, please..." Touka said with a grin. "Spare me the details. After all, maybe when it's all over, you might develop a crush on the old boy!"  
  
Iria slammed her fist on the table again, harder this time. "You take that back!!!" This time, however, instead of just getting looks from the other patrons, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She let out a little gasp as she glanced over her shoulder to see four scruffy looking men, clad in leather, standing behind her with grins on their faces.  
  
"Yanno lady...." The one with his hand on her shoulder said first. "Me and my boys here couldn't help but notice that you and yer old boyfriend here were makin' a bit of racket for the past couple of minutes..."  
  
"What do you want...?" Iria said as she pulled her shoulder away from the man's grasp. "I don't have anything for you...."  
  
The man pulled his hand back and grinned slightly. "Me? No, I don't want anything. But I think my friend here would probably try as persuade you for a little something..." Just then one of the other man kneeled down beside Iria's chair, on the opposite side from the others.  
  
The man had a huge stupid grin, he obviously didn't look like the world's brightest or prettiest man either. "Say there cutie! How's 'bout you and me get together and a...." He licked his lips a bit. Iria simply closed her eyes as Touka watched on. "...make a little--" But then he was cut off as a Iria's fist made a quick shot with her fist to the man's already nasty face.  
  
"Bug off, creep..." She responded to the man's request, her eyes remained closed the whole time.  
  
The man fell down flat on his backside as he began rubbing his nose. "**OWW!!** Hey Boss! Ya see that! The broad went and hit me!!!!"  
  
The one who spoke first, known only as 'Boss', grinned as he looked over to the pouty man. "Quit cryin' ya wuss! You gonna take that from a woman?!"  
  
Another man that stood in the back, probably the youngest of the group, folded his arms over his chest, a smirk on his face. "Boss, you want us to rough her up a bit...?!"  
  
The Boss grinned as he looked back down to Iria and beat his taped fist into his palm. "Why not....? But, as always, I get firsts!" As he started to approach the nonchalant Iria, a black gloved hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.   
  
"What the--!?!?" The Boss' eyes narrowed as he turned around to get a look at the person who grabbed him. "Now look, we're trying to conduct a little business and we don't want--" but before he could finish his sentence while he turned around he was face-to-face with a pair of icy, hunter green eyes, the eyes of Kazon Locke.  
  
"Whatever business you have has to go through me first..." the silent one said in his low raspy voice, "...and I make sure you get what you deserve..."  
  
The Boss just laughed as did his counterparts. "And who are you?" The Boss said as slightly pushed Kaz's shoulder. " 'Superboy' perhaps?" He started laughing again, even louder this time. "Here comes the Knight in Shining Armor! Here to save the maiden fair!" The gang's laughing continued as the Boss kept his eyes glued on Kazon.   
  
But to the Boss' surprise, Kazon just gave him a little grin of his own, instantly shutting the gang up. It was then when one of them caught a glance at the pendant Kazon wore around his neck, the licence of a Hunter.  
  
"Uh....Boss...!!?!?" One of other gang members said in a scared voice. "He's a....a-a-a...!"  
  
One of Iria eyes finally peeked open and glanced over to Kaz. "So much for the 'low profile'...?"  
  
"Whatever..." Kaz responded, motioning towards the briefcases at Touka's feet. "Get the money, and meet me outside."  
  
"Sure..." Iria said as she glanced to the Boss before looking back to Dr. Touka. "Later, Gramps!" And then quickly pushed herself out of the chair, ramming her shoulder into the gang member that was kneeled down beside her. She then ran to the other side of the table and grabbed the two briefcases and broke out to the staircace on the right in a sprint.  
  
Touka shielded himself from the charging Iria and then yelled back to her. "Be careful tomorrow and don't get yourself killed!"  
  
"Alright!!" And then she stormed down the stairs.  
  
The remaining three members, including the Boss, surrounded the silent Hunter in a triangular pattern Kazon crouched down and gave the one to his right a stiff elbow to the gut, then sweeping the man's feet out from under him with his leg. The one on the left charged him while Kazon was still crouched but was cut short as Kaz flipped back and held him self up with one hand on the floor. He shifted his weight around, causing his legs to have a windmill effect and his metallic alloy boots both caught the man across the face. As the man twisted in the air before falling to the balcony floor rather hard, Kazon had brought his feet back to the floor and focused his eyes on the Boss as he straightened himself upright. A grin crossed the Hunter's lips, as if he was enjoying this brief moment of action.  
  
The boss began to step backwards as he trembled in fear of what this man would do to him next. "W-what are y-you!? Punishment from God?!" But before he could say anything else, Kazon sprinted towards him and performed a leaping roundhouse kick, his foot catching the Boss right on the side of his face. The Boss was sent flying backward through the air and crashed into Touka's table, smashing it into pieces.   
  
Kazon straightened himself once again as he tucked his gloved hands into his trench coat pockets. As he turned to leave, he gave Touka a quick glance.  
  
Touka stood from his chair and brushed himself off. "Well, it's good to know that you haven't changed...." Kazon merely looked away from the old scientist and made his way over to the stairs.  
  
Outside, at the two Kreepers, Iria tossed one briefcase into Kazon's Kreeper then did the same for her own payment. She caught a glance of the black coated figure approaching her. She sighed softly as she leaned back against her Kreeper. "You didn't make it too bloody did you...?"  
  
"...they're fine. Now tell me, what did Touka say to you...?" Kazon said as he propped himself against his own vehicle, folding his arms across his chest. "Just get to the story..."  
  
Iria's brow arched slightly, this attitude was really starting to get to her. She let out a sigh as she started repeating her earlier conversation with Touka word for word, not missing a single detail. Although it didn't seem like it, Kazon listened intently.   
  
"....and that's it. So now we have to go to that center Touka mentioned and stop Tedan Tippedai's plans." Iria said as she finished her story.  
  
"_...revive Zeiram....?!_" Kazon thought to himself. "_...not again. Not this nightmare again.....!!!_" Little did he know that his thoughts took over his usually emotionless outward appearance for the moment. His eyes narrowed and his teeth began to grind together. "_....shit. Tedan Tippedai...those idiots..._"  
  
Iria pushed herself away from the Kreeper and eyed Kazon curiously. She slowly made her way closer the dark figure and ducked a little bit to see his eyes from beneath his hidden face.   
  
"...'you alright, Kaz...?" But before Iria could make contact, Kazon quickly turned away and leaped into the cockpit of his Kreeper with out a word.  
  
Iria jumped back a bit as Kazon started up the engines. "Hey, listen!" She yelled out over the low humming sound from the engine. "Meet up with me at my house in the morning! It's just outside of the city to the west of here! You hear me?!"   
  
"I hear you...but let's get one thing straight..." He responded, keeping his view forward and not to her. "...I'm not in this to expand friendships...when the job's done, I'm out of here. And one more thing... if I were you, I wouldn't slow me down..." and then he pushed a button on the console, the hatch closing in a flash. The nimble Kreeper sped out of the parking lot and headed off into the streets of Myce City.  
  
Iria let out a sigh of frustration as she stomped on the ground. "Of all the people I have to put up with...!! Now him?!"   
  
"Iria...! Iria!!" A computerized voice called to her. Iria's armor-clad arm emerged from the maroon cloak as the holographic image of Bob's AI reappeared. "I got the information you wanted. You won't believe some of this stuff..."  
  
"Yeah, well..." Iria said narrowing her eyes, "I just had a run-in with '_Mr. Personality Crisis_'!"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean this Kazon guy was hired by Touka! Now I have to work with him!" Iria shook it off as her other hand ran through her hair. "Anyway, I got the job description from Dr. Touka, ready to hear it...?"  
  
Bob's 'eye' panned around at the surrounding's before focusing in on the front door of the Outrigger as is slid open. Iria's gaze followed and got a view of four fumbling men running out of the bar, the one in front was holding the side of his head in pain.   
  
"Where are those pipsqueaks!" he called out to no one in particular. "When I get my hands on that guy...!!!"  
  
"Hey Boss!!" One of the others said, pointing out Iria off in the distance. "There's the girl!!"  
  
"Umm.....!!" Bob stuttered, "Iria....!? What did you get into now!?"   
  
Iria's eyes widened as she saw who these people where and then turned around quickly to leap into the Kreeper, the hologram fading from view. She looked back over her shoulder the see the gang sprint toward her with that angry look in their eyes.   
  
"Well Bob, Maybe you'll have to wait until I get home for the explanation...!!"  
  
"Friends of yours...!?!" Bob's voice called out to her as she took the controls and flipped on the engines.   
  
"You could say that...!" Iria said as the punched the throttle and sped of like a bat out of Hell, leaving the gang in a cloud of dust.  
  
"**_Damn it....!_**" Iria thought to herself. "_Today just isn't my day!_"  
  


********************  


  
  


**_NEXT TIME!!:_**   
Iria returns home to gain more information on her mysterious partner, as well as play relay for Touka's mission. Then, it's time for the rest of the posse to meet Kaz! But how will he be accepted by the crew? Or better yet...how will the crew be accepted by him? Well I'm not going to spoil anything else but all of this and plenty of more action in **_IRIA: TSoS_** **Episode 4: '_Blacklisted'_**!!! Stay tuned!  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Blaclklisted

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
**_Episode 4: "BLACKLISTED"_**  
  


  
As Iria's Kreeper flew across the land, heading for home, she sat there and thought of the events that had just taken place. Her thoughts were swirling back and forth as he though about if what Dr. Touka said was really true. Could Zeiram be alive...? Can he really be reconstructed...? Whatever the answers to her question were, she would surely figure them out tomorrow. But what but what made her think the most was  
her partner on this mission...  
  
"_ '...Just call me 'Kaz'....'_ ", the lone Hunter's word crossed through her mind. Sure this Kazon fellow confused her...but that aura around him, that silent and mysterious confidence that he possessed did nothing but intrigue her. She didn't know it the first time they met in Sabaku, but maybe, just maybe....Fujikuro was right about her and Kazon, although she refused to believe it.  
  
"_Kazon, huh...._" She thought to herself as she let out a long sigh and took her eyes off the path in front of her. She leaned back in her seat and took a looked up at the night sky. "._..Kaz...he's really just a jerk if you think about it..."_  
  
_" '...did you hesitate against Zeiram like you did in Sabaku...?' "_  
  
"Yeah..." She said aloud. "Just a jerk...but...he...."  
  
Iria pulled the Kreeper into the garage like she did earlier. As she hopped out of the vehicle, she leaned her back against the hull and let out another long sigh.   
  
"_...just...a big jerk..._"  
  


*****  


  
Kei walked out of the kitchen to see that the sprawled out Fujikuro was still relaxing on the couch watching the television just as he did all day. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly as she caught a glance at the dirty dishes piled on the table in front of the scruffy Hunter.  
  
"Are you ever gonna learn how to clean up after yourself or what?!" The enraged Kei ask with her hands on her hips. "You think with as old as you are, you'd know how to keep somewhat clean...!"  
  
Fujikuro simply flashed that arrogant grin of his and picked up the remote to change the channel. "Who need to clean up after themselves we I got someone like you around to do it for me?"  
  
Kei mumbled to herself as she reluctantly went over to the table and picked up the plates. "One of these days your gonna repay me for all of this!"  
  
"Yeah," He chuckled to himself and shrugged slightly, "and it'll be a cold day in Hell, too."  
  
"Shut up..." The red faced Kei said as she gave the man a quick, stiff kick to the shin before turning and making her way back into the kitchen.  
  
"_OW--!!_" Fujikuro yelp as he held his leg in pain. "Ya little brat!" After trying to rub the pain away, he leaned back on the couch. "Hmph...what are you so ticked off about anyway?!"  
  
"Well, I, for one, am worried about Iria..." She responded as she came back into the living room. "You'rethe one that let her go to that bad place and all!"  
  
"Hey! You don't think I'm worried about her too...?! If there wasn't so much money on the line, I wouldn't have let her go at all!"  
  
Kei's arms crossed over her chest as she stared at him with a fixed gaze. "Well, you certainly don't act like you're worried. Besides, that's the only thing you live for: Money!"  
  
"Now listen to me, kid--" Fujikuro started to say but was cut off as he caught a quick glance of Iria quietly walking into the room. She had her cloak tucked under her left arm while her rifle and that briefcase full of Kem were the other hand. Bob's AI image also appeared on the computer screen in the middle of the room.  
  
"Iria...!" Kei said with an excited yet relieved voice. "How'd it go? You meet your partner?"  
  
"You get the money....!??!" Fujikuro asked with the same amount of enthusiasm as the young girl.  
  
"Can I at least have some time to get situated...?" She said with a soft laugh, hanging her items up on the rack in the corner of the room. "I got the money, Fujikuro, and yes I met my partner."  
  
"Really?" Kei asked. "Who is it...?"  
  
"It's her old buddy...." Bob answered for her with a chuckle.  
  
"Gimme a break!" Iria said with an irritated voice. "It's not like I wanted to pick him!"  
  
Fujikuro gave her a startled look. "You mean that your partner...is...." Iria replied only with a short nod. "...man, talk about coincidence. And with a guy like him...geez..."  
  
"Yes," Bob went on. "And according to Iria's description of him, he's just like those old rumors said..."  
  
Iria sat walked over to the couch and took a seat next to Fujikuro, looking back and forth between Bob and Fujikuro. " What is it with you two and this guy...?! Tell me Bob, what is it about him that has you two on the fritz...?"  
  
"Alright Iria, this is what I figured out about him from those data files I retrieved," Bob said as few pages of files popped up on the screen, then followed by a profile picture of Kazon and a few shots of fingerprints.   
  
"Damn Bob..." Fujikuro said, gazing wide-eyed at the flurry of information windows popping up on the screen, "...do the words "work lightly" mean anything to you...?"  
  
"I don't like to cut corners...."  
  
"Sure seems like it." Fujikuro added. Then once everything was loaded and booted up, Bob went on....  
  
"Kazon Locke, Registration #9965-3; Age: 22....According to these documents, his mother is deceased and his father has been missing for years."  
  
"Missing...?" Iria asked curiously.  
  
"He was raised in the orphanage in Sector 2-R for the majority of his childhood." Bob said, pulling up the orphanage data file. There was a picture of a small boy with brown hair, a younger photo of Kazon, but he still had those same chilling eyes. "And according to the discipline logs, he didn't actually play well with others..."  
  
"Well that explains alotta things..." Fujikuro said as he slouched down in his seat a bit, not in the least bit surprised. "But yanno, Bob...sure, your little hacking jobs are dandy and all. But don't you think you're diving a little deep on this guy?" He said with a grin. "Shouldn't you leave him **some** privacy? What's next? You gonna tell us his shoe size? Or his hairstylist maybe--"  
  
"Fujikuro, pipe down!" Iria said in an irritated manner. Fujikuro gave a quick glance in her direction, but he watched as she sat there, focused intently on the computer screen.   
  
"_...she's serious about this guy, huh?_" Fujikuro thought to himself, finding it odd that she was so intent on finding on information for this guy. He let out a huff and folded his arms across his chest. "'scuse me for havin' a since of humor. I didn't know you had this big of a crush on him..."  
  
"Shut up...jerk..." Iria said, not taking her eyes off the screen.  
  
"He looks sad..." Kei commented as she moved closer to get a better look at the photo of the young boy.  
  
"But is that's what got you two all jittery?" Iria asked. "Just because he was in an orphanage...?"  
  
Bob took a long sigh before speaking again. "You're trouble sometimes, you know that?" The files dropped from the screen as Bob's AI image appeared again. "Listen carefully now. Think back to the Karma mission. Did you hear Gren or myself talk about rumors we had heard about Zeiram..?"  
  
"Well...yeah..." Iria responded with an arched brow, "There were rumors of the man who owned the Myce Ruby being attacked by something like Zeiram years ago. I saw it on the television. But what does that have to do with anything...?"  
  
"That wasn't the only rumor..." Bob said softly.  
  
"What...?" Iria asked with a shocked expression.  
  
"Rumor has it that about 4 years ago, a Hunter and his apprentice were sent on a mission to a far off, uninhabited planet." Fujikuro answered, gaining Iria's attention. "According to the apprentice, he's was attacked by Zeiram, and his instructor was killed on the spot but by someone with a gun. The apprentice lived and made it back to Myce..." He then grinned and had a bit of a sarcastic tone. "Guess who plays the  
apprentice in this movie...?"  
  
"Kaz...?!" Iria asked with a gasp. Then she remembered something from earlier in the day, at the Outrigger parking lot...  
  


*****  


  
"...did you hesitate and drop your guard against Zeiram like you did in Sabaku...?"  
  
"You know about Zeiram!!" She asked, but the only response she got from him was his arms slowly folding over his chest. "Tch...Yeah, you've got a marvelous personality!" She said sarcastically. Then she gave him a little smirk. "Besides...its not like you know what it's like to fight Zeiram...!"   
  
Her arrogant grin, however, was swept away in an instant as Kazon's eyes finally snapped back at her quickly, making her jump back a little. That icy and seemingly emotionless stare dove right into her eyes, but this time, the gaze was was different. It was like he would lash out on her in a second if she didn't take the remark back. After boring holes through her for a brief moment, he simply shook his head as a turned to the building as head towards the door, his hands sliding down into his coat pockets. "...whatever. Let's just get this over with...Touka's waiting."  
  


*****  


  
"_...so that's why he gave me that weird look...._" Iria thought to herself.  
  
"Well, as Fujikuro stated, Locke survived the attack, but his trainer wasn't so lucky," Bob said. "Kazon returned to Myce and claimed that the Zeiram attack was a conspiracy set up by Tedan Tippedai, since his instructor, Ouspi, was killed by a gun, and a Zeiram didn't carry one with him. However, the Corporation denied everything, as usual, claiming that the incident never even happened and Ouspi died of natural  
causes. A week later, due to his age, he got his full license as a Hunter but was blacklisted by Tedan Tippedai."  
  
"'Blacklisted'...?" Iria asked. "What do you mean by 'blacklisted'?"  
  
"Have you ever caught a glimpse of his pendent?" Fujikuro asked her. "The color it was...?"  
  
"It was black..." Iria responded, wondering were this was all leading up to. "Does that mean something?"  
  
"Right. That means he was blacklisted." Fujikuro went on. "A normal, fully-licensed Hunter's pendent is blue. What that means is he's been put on probation, like you were last year, but worse. He doesn't have the clearance to do certain jobs or use certain weapons, like a Borobdin, in fear that he could revolt."  
  
"Tedan Tippedai still didn't want word of the incident to leak out from Kazon. Since they had the power, and since he had been blacklisted by them, he was sent off to a planet in the Taowajan System on patrol duty. He's been there working for low wages and living off weak bounties...that is until now..."  
  
"But..." Kei said, cutting in. "...if he was blacklisted and all, how could he come back to Myce if Tedan Tippedai hates him so much? Not only that, he's even sighed up for jobs directly from them!"  
  
"Who knows..." Fujikuro said. "Maybe they've forgotten about everything and they know that he won't talk. He could have calm down over the years...or maybe he's just given up trying to get his point across to the public."  
  
"Bob...?" Iria asked in a soft voice.  
  
"Yes Iria...?"  
  
"You said that the entire story is just a rumor...right?"  
  
"Right...Kazon's own personal logs claims that it's true, but know one really knows for sure except him..."  
  
"What about you...?" She asked. "Do you think it's true...?"  
  
Bob hesitated a short moment before speaking again, trying to change the subject. "In any case, Iria, you need to be very careful around Hunter Locke. From what you've seen so far, you can tell that he's a very broody, cold hearted person with very acute skills, two things that don't mix very well together if you push the wrong buttons. I wouldn't upset him; he could snap and take you down with him."  
  
"Right..." She said with a nod, although she didn't like fact of her question being shrugged off like that. "Don't worry about that. I know I can keep my distance form him."  
  
"Heh..." Fujikuro scoffed a grin. "I'm sot so sure of that...with the crush you have on him and all..."  
  
"Shut up! I don't have a crush on him!!" Iria screamed at he arrogant Hunter.  
  
"Sure, sure....whatever you say..."  
  
"Both of you calm down." Bob said, breaking it up. "Now, Iria, after you tell me what Dr. Touka told you, you should go get some rest..."  
  
Iria turned back to Bob and nodded slightly. "Right." She then began to recite Touka's instructions.  
  


*****  


  
Dr. Touka quietly sneaked down a long corridor of the Tedan Tippedai HQ. The building was deserted and the lights were shut off, the pitch black emptiness of the night flooding the hallway, making Touka a bit paranoid of his surroundings. He approached a large door and pressed a few buttons on the keypad, activating a rectangularscanner that was beside it...  
  
"_Please place palm on the surface for Print Scanning..._" A computerized voice called out from the speaker on the keypad. Touka did so, and a bright, green light slowly panned done his hand.   
  
"_Confirming....._" The voice said as the light faded away. "_Print Scanning completed and confirmed. Welcome Dr. Touka._" Then the door slid open quickly and the old doctor rushed inside, the door closing  
behind him.  
  
He walked over to a large computer sitting on a desk in the back of the room. "_I have to check all the security logs..._" He thought to himself. "_...I hope they didn't figure out I was gone. If they did, I have to erase the file before it gets to Vice-president Tsutomegi...God knows what he'll do to me then..._" After a searching the files for a few moments he found that there was nothing on him and he let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Thank goodness....now to get out of here." Touka said aloud, making he way back to the door. He pushed a button to slide the door again but revealed two Tedan Tippedai security guards on the other side, guns drawn.   
  
"**_Freeze!_**"  
  
"What is the meaning of this...?!" The doctor said a bit shaky taking a few steps back.   
  
"You're the one to talk...did you enjoy your little outing, doctor?" A young voice called out from behind Touka. The old man glanced over his shoulder to see the Vice-president, Kross Tsutomegi, slowly emerging from the cover of the dark room's shadows and stalking closer to him with an evil smirk across his lips. "Tell me, good doctor. Why are coming in at such a late hour...?"  
  
"How did you get in here...?!" Touka shouted as he remained completely still.   
  
"Magic, perhaps...?" Kross responded with a small chuckle. "Just answer my question. Where have you been...?" He said as he made his way around Touka, meeting him face to face. "Maybe out to get a little....drink...?"  
  
"That's none of your business. Besides, I--" Before Touka could finish the sentence, Kross' gloved hand shot out and grabbed the old man by the throat. The Vice-president then quickly, turned and drug the doctor away from the door and slammed his back against the wall beside it. The two guards adjusted to Kross' movements and stood ready with their weapons pointing at Dr. Touka.  
  
"You forget, Touka...!" Kross said as he squeezed even more, leaving the doctor gasping for air. "...everything that goes on in this building and this entire city for that matter, is most definitely _my_ business! Understand...?!" He said with a grin. With what little strength the old man had in him, he grabbed Kross' wrist in a attempt to pull himself away. "Now will you talk...?"  
  
"F-f-fine...!!!" Touka said, still trying to push him away.  
  
"That's a good ol' lad..." Kross stated as he loosened his grip and then let go of the doctor completely, send the old man falling to the floor in a heap, breathing heavily. Kross couldn't help but to snicker softly to himself, him feeding of he own aggression; he then kneeled down to a knee in front of Touka.   
  
"They're going to stop you, you bastard...!" Touka said between breaths.   
  
"Really now...and who exactly will stop me?" Kross said rather nonchalantly and unworried. "And how so...? Speak up now...." He glared coldly into the old man's eyes, leaving Touka scared stiff.  
  
"You're a mad man.....!!!" Touka said a bit stumbly. "Bringing back Zeiram...?! You're not doing it for the good of Tedan Tippedai! You want to rule the universe yourself, don't you!! Y-you...you're a mad man!!!"  
  
"Hmm...." Kross remained silent for a short while before standing and motioning with his hand to take Touka away. "Dr. Touka...it would appear to me that you've just thrown your name into the hat for the early retirement list....Get him out of here..." One of the guards walked over and jabbed the end of his gun into the doctors neck, knocking him out cold. He was then dragged out the door, by the same guard, leaving  
Kross alone with the other soldier.  
  
"Take a note of this..." Kross said finally, looking over to the guard. "...first thing in the morning, I want a transport for myself and the President ready for departure to the Bachnia Center."  
  
"Why is that sir?" The guard asked.  
"Touka's hired Hunters....I know it to be true. He probably wants to sabotage the Zeiram Project and we can't have that happen, not now." Kross looked away from the guard and flashed a small grin. "And I want to meet these...savages they call "Hunters" that he hired personally...."  
  
"Sir, do you think it's wise that the President should put himself in danger like that? I mean, he could--"  
  
"Don't question my authority....! Do you want to be hanging in a prison next to that crazy old man?!" Kross hissed, blowing up right in the man's face.  
  
"N-n-no sir!!"  
  
"Then hop to it!" The guard quickly scampered out of the room and left Kross alone. That same sinister grin came across Tsutomegi's lips yet again...  
  
"Tomorrow Puttubayh....it's my turn to rule this God-forsaken land...except I will control it with fear...fear of Zeiram....and you will be...." he let out a demonic chuckle, "_...you'll be...out of my way_."  
  


********************  
  
  
  
**_NEXT TIME!!:_**   
Kazon comes over to meet his new allies as the embark on the biggest mission of their lives. But what is Vice-president Kross planning? Get ready for the episode that features one of the most defining scene of the Kazon Locke character in the next episode of_ **IRIA: TSoS** ****_Episode 5:_ 'March To Bachnia'_!!  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. March To Bachnia

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
  
**_Episode 5:_ _"MARCH TO BACHNIA"_**  
  


The morning light filled the rooms of Iria's home right up, setting a rather chipper mood for a rather unchipper day. Fujikuro, Kei, and Iria were sitting around the table in the kitchen, eating the breakfast Kei had made.  
  
"So let me get this straight...." Fujikuro said after biting a chunk out of a piece of toast. "...first he did a little spinny-kick while upside-down, supporting himself with his only his hand, then put a guy through a table...?"  
  
"Yep." Iria said as she finished the last bit of her meal and stood from her chair. She took her plates and glasses to the sink. She hadn't changed into her armor yet and still wore hire blue and white casual, pajama outfit.  
  
"Wow!" Kei said, nearly leaping out of her seat. "He sounds so awesome!"  
  
"He sounds like a showoff to me..." Fujikuro said, leaning back in his seat.  
  
"You're just jealous, Fujikuro..." Iria said with a chuckle. "When was the last time you did a 'spiny, upside-down kick," hmmm....?"  
  
"I bet he can't even do a handstand!" Kei added.  
  
"Please..." Fujikuro scoffed. "Just remember what Bob said. If you guys piss him if off, it's your funeral..."  
  
"You're right." Iria said with a nod and made her way out of the kitchen. "I'm going to go take a shower and get changed. He'll be here soon..."  
  
"Don't forget to put on your pretty make-up for the boy!" Fujikuro called out to her. "You need to look nice  
for your boy-toy, yanno!"  
  
"Shut up!" She called back from the other room. "Besides, when was the last time you had a girlfriend...!" After that she slammed the door to her room.  
  
"Oooo....low blow...." he said quietly, a bit hurt. Fujikuro then glanced over to Kei who was trying to hold back her laughter. "Who are you laughin' at!"  
  
Just then the sound of the door bell rang through the house, catching both Kei's and Fujikuro's attention. A few moments later, Bob's voice spoke over a speaker in the room, "Alright, he's here. I've given him clearance to use the elevator in the living room." The arrogant Hunter and the young girl looked at each other for a moment...then sprang from their seats and dashed into the living room.   
  
They both stood in front of the small elevator awaiting Kazon's arrival. The elevator let out a soft humming sound as that dark brown hair of his appeared, then the tanned, amber-colored skin, followed by those chilling, green eyes. The elevator came to a stop and the Hunter, donning the usual black trench coat, took a step into the living room, glancing around a bit.   
  
The other two were a bit hesitant at first, but Fujikuro stepped up to greet him. "Uh....um, Kazon...right...?" he asked.   
  
Kazon glanced to Fujikuro from the corner of his eye before giving him a short nod, then continued to glance around from place to place. "Oh! Um, hiya then...? You can call me Fujikuro," he then motioned over his shoulder to the young girl, "...and the little brat is Kei...and--"  
  
"What!!??" Kei cut him off. "Don't call me brat, jerk!"  
  
Fujikuro looked over his shoulder to Kei and flashed a little grin before looking back to Kazon. "See what I mean...?" He added with a slight shrug and extended his hand toward the man. "So anyways, put 'er there man!"  
  
Kazon, ignoring Fujikuro's greeting, walked right passed him, not even looking twice at the aging Hunter. "This is Hunter Iria's residence...?" Kazon asked quietly, his arms folding over his chest. Fujikuro's fist clenched and he gave out a little growl as he was shrugged off, but remained quiet and turned away a bit pouty.  
  
"Yeah it is...." Fujikuro said with a slight scow hidden under is words.  
  
Kazon stopped and glanced back over his shoulder to Fujikuro, giving him that same icy stare. "...then where is she....?"  
  
"She's getting ready....geez!" Fujikuro answered. "Whaddya want me to do?! Go drag her out here half-naked!?"  
  
"Fujikuro...!" Kei said under her breath as she pushed the irritated Hunter back, and looked up to Kazon with a nervous smile "Heh heh...umm....sorry, Fujikuro here is just a little trigger-happy is all. Loves to jump the gun, that Fujikuro...!!" she said with an even more nervous chuckle.  
  
"Cork it, kid!" Fujikuro said, giving Kei a little shove.  
  
"Easy you two..." Bob said as his AI image showed up on the main computer screen, "Welcome Hunter Locke. My name is Bob, formerly of Gounbak Security. I will be acting as your "executive" support throughout this job." Kazon glanced over to the screen and gave a slight nod. "My apologizes about those two by the way...they can get a bit rowdy at times."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kei asked a bit agitated.  
  
"Whatever..." Kazon cut in, his voice a bit on the low side and seemed a bit uninterested. He made his way further into the room and made it over to the computer keyboard, facing Bob's image. "Well then...'Mr. Bob'...I take it that, as our support, you've come up with the plan?"  
  
"Please, just 'Bob' is fine."  
  
Kazon nodded respectfully. " 'Kaz'..."  
  
"Yes, indeed. Well, 'Kaz', I have figured out a plan for our approach on the Bachnia Center after hacking online blueprints and I have discussed it with the others thoroughly last night. What we have determined is that Iria, Kei, and yourself with take our Kreeper, leaving Fujikuro to ride in his Dempadan. Keep in mind that once we get to the sensor point, the Kreeper will not be able to pass through without being detected then."  
  
"How will we be able to get past them...?" Kazon asked in his low voice.  
  
"Upon arrival, Fujikuro serve as a diversion by flying through the sensor's barrier. While the center officials are fooling around and trying to catch Fujikuro, you, along with Iria, will infiltrate the building through the air ducts on the East Wing. Kei will remain outside of the sensor area with the Kreeper and serve as a lookout until Fujikuro can escape, and she will radio you if any reinforcements arrive. Once you two inside,  
I'll fill you in on the rest of the details, understood? It's fairly simple really."   
  
"Sounds more like suicide to me..." Fujikuro added.  
  
"...only from your standpoint." Kei responded with a grin.  
  
A small disk was ejected from one of the disk drives on the super computer. "Here, take this." Bob went on. "It's programed to project my AI image and keep you in contact with me and also with Iria in case if you get separated." Kazon nodded again as he pulled up the sleeve of his trench coat, revealing the silver-metallic armor the covered his left forearm.  
  
Kei looked around from behind Kazon to get a better view of what the silent Hunter was doing. She watched in amazement as Kazon slid the disc into an elevated plate on the armor. Bob's AI image left the computer screen and then the sphere and two cone holographic image popped up from the enteral projection unit that was consulted in the elevated plate, similar to Iria's device.  
  
"...it works, good." Bob said as he cones twirled around a little bit. "Now...I'm going to shut down for a few minutes so I can further survey the Bachnia Center's computer systems. If you have any questions we'll go over them on the way there. When Iria's done preparing and you're all ready, notify me and we'll be on our way."  
  
After Bob switched off, the three stayed quiet for the next few minutes, waiting for Iria. Kei propped herself against the opening of the elevator while Fujikuro was sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees with his chin resting in his palms. He kept a very close eye on Kazon, who was leaning back against the super computer console with his arms casually folded over his chest. Kazon's eyes were closed and his head hung a tad bit low.  
  
"Man! What's taking her long!" Kei finally said to break the silence. She looked over to Kazon and once again, he caught her curiosity. She slowly walked over to him, tiptoeing it all the way as to not alert him. He stood a few feet away from him and looked over his features. She peeked into get a closer look into the dark man's face...   
  
"_Whoa..._" She thought. "_Iria wasn't kidding....he's like a statue..._"   
  
Kei moved in to get an even closer look, but only to see Kazon's eyes shoot open, sending the startled Kei stumbling backwards and falling on her backside in a heap. She looked back up to Kazon, who still had had that blank look his on his face has he lowered his head even more.  
  
Kei's brow arched slightly. "_What's with this guy...?_"  
  
Just then, Iria rushed into the room, her crimson cloak and rifle under one arm and small pouch full of extra ammo magazines hanging from her mouth while still trying to fix her armor on her opposite forearm. "O-k...!" She said, talking through her closed teeth. "I'muf r'eddy..!"  
  
Fujikuro waved her off nonchalantly. "Sure doesn't seem like it...You mean to tell me that through Myce's deepest perils, who you still have the time to "pretty yourself up"?"  
  
Iria yanked the pouch from her mouth. "Oh yeah? Well, you could learn from it you know..." She caught a glance of Kazon leaning against the computer, and flashed a grin. "They didn't bore you did they?"  
  
"Not as much as standing around here waiting for you..." Kazon said coldly as his arms uncrossed and pushed his body from the leaning position, but even still, he didn't look up to her.   
  
Iria's eyes narrowed as she placed her hand on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?!"  
  
"...forget it." Kaz said as he made his way over to the door leading into the garage. "Let's go..."  
  
As Kazon exited the room, Fujikuro looked over to Iria and gave her a little grin. "So much for your love life, eh?"  
  
"Shut up!!!"  
  


*****  


  
The Kreeper sped across the flat terrain, leaving a trail of dust around it. Above the speeding Kreeper, Fujikuro, serving almost as if he was a wingman, flew his Dempadan as fast as it could.  
  
Kei had the controls of the Kreeper, pushing a few buttons here and there. She kept on looking over her shoulder to Kazon every now and then. Every time she glanced back, Kazon remained still and quiet, his arms folded over his chest as he gazed idly out into nothing. Just staring...  
  
"_Maybe he's just psyching himself up...?_" Kei asked herself, but still wasn't very sure. For some reason, a reason that she didn't even know herself, this man was quite interesting to her. His quiet voice, his cold demeanor, his icy gaze...all of this intrigued the young girl ... intrigued her enough to want to find out more. Whether he would let her, or anyone for that matter, has remained to be seen.  
  
Iria was checking her pistol and cleaning the barrel. "Hey Bob, how far out are we now...?"  
  
"About 5 miles away from the barrier zone." Bob said over the Kreeper's sound system. "After that, its about a mile to the building, so you two will have to be quick on your feet..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah..." Iria responded as she loaded an ammo clip into the pistol. "We'll do our job, you do yours..." Bob chuckled softly.  
  
"_Alright..._" Fujikuro's voice was relayed to the Kreeper. "_I'm going on ahead. Be careful...ya hear?!_"  
  
"Yeah, you too...!" Iria said as she looked up and waved the Dempadan forward.   
  
"_Don't let Iria pester ya too much Locke! She does that sometimes...!!_" then Fujikuro sped off, leaving the  
Kreeper behind...  
  
"There he goes..." Kei said in a rather dreadful tone of voice.  
  
"He'll do fine....he better atleast." Iria said as she adjusted the armor around one of her wrists. She then gave a quick glance over in Kazon's direction, then down to his lap where two katanas lay sheathed. "That's strange..." She said aloud, to no one really, but it caught Kazon's attention. He glanced over to her from the corner of his eye. Iria straightened up a little big and continued on.."You....don't see many Hunters use those things nowadays..."  
  
Kazon gaze shifted down to the swords for a moment, then back to where they previously were, staring out into the distance. "Your point...?"  
  
"No point..." Iria said as she looked down to her pistol. "It's just Hunters lately have leaned more the 'gun-side' of things, yanno what I mean? Not many still rely on blades..." She flashed him a sly grin. "...or maybe you're just not all that good of a shot...?"   
  
"...my 'poor marksmanship' saved you, didn't it?" Kaz responded. Iria chuckled a little.  
  
"I'd figure you'd say something like that." She said, composing herself. "You're a real jerk, you know that?" She smiled proudly... "You're not all that hard to figure out than I though...."  
  
Kazon shot an icy glare in her direction and spoke in a low voice. "You have no idea..."  
  
Iria gasped a little when this look of his fell on her. His green eyes burned holes through her once again...just like they did the night before. Iria sat frozen just as she did the night before, not knowing what to say, and frankly, couldn't look away from him. Their eyes were just locked on each other for a few moments. Luckily though, Bob's voice broke the tension...  
  
"Get ready, we're nearly there. Our diversion is working , all the security forces are pointed at Fujikuro at the moment..." Kazon finally looked away after Bob was finished, Iria letting out a soft sigh of relief.  
  
"Has he blown up yet...?" Kei asked with a mischievous grin on her face.  
  
"_I can still hear you kid!!_" Fujikuro's voice rang over the intercom, with sounds of gunfire in the background. "_If I live through this, yours is the first ass I get to kick!_"  
  
"Kei, park here..." Bob cut in. "This should be close enough..."  
  
"Right..." Kei said as she quickly put on the brakes and came to a sliding stop.   
  
"Remember," Bob said again. "Fujikuro can't hold out forever so get to the center with haste. All Fujikuro has to do is hold out until you two can get in. That's were Hunter Locke's covert experience should come in handy..."  
  
"Right..." Iria said as she leaped out of the Kreeper with her rifle at hand. She smoothed out her crimson cloak. "We'll contact you once we get in." Kazon too jumped out and strapped the two katanas over his shoulders and across his chest, the two swords forming an 'X' formation across his back.  
  
"Be careful you two..." Kei said waving to them. "You'd better get back here in one piece Iria!"  
  
Iria looked up to Kei and smiles. "Yeah, I know..." Her gaze then shifted over towards Kazon, who was standing a few feet away, buttoning up his long black trench coat. Kaz looked up to Iria as he fastened the last of the buttons. He tilted his head slightly in the direction of the large building a mile away from them, as if asking her if she was ready but without words. Iria nodded slightly.  
  
Kazon nodded and then, using his thumb, he gave a quick yet gentle flick to the hairbeads that were tucked behind his left ear...**Gren's trademark**. Iria's eyes widened quickly seeing this...and her mind went completely blank...  
  
"_...big brother....?_" She thought, as both visions of the Gren and Kazon doing the exact same thing...it stunned her. Something as small and as trivial as flicking one's hairbeads, was suddenly the only thing on Iria's mind. "_...Gren..._"  
  
  
"Hey!" Kei yelled at her from the Kreeper. "Iria, getta move on!!!"  
  
"Huh...?" Iria said as she came back to her senses, only to see that Kaz already had a good head start on her. He ran in the direction of the Bachnia Center with the tails of his coat fling behind him. "H-h-hey!!! Wait up!!" Iria then ran after the Hunter, hoping to catch up with him.  
  
Everything was in motion now. The plan was now in full swing, with no turning back, and with no room for error. But what's inside this building is still an uncertainty, which appears to be the background of this mission. What is on the inside...is something **_no one_**...not even two young Hunters could have ever prepared for...  
  


  
*****************  


  


**_NEXT TIME!!:_**   
Iria and Kaz finally get into the Bachnia center but what's inside is more than what they bargained for. Find out who....or what's inside in **_IRIA: TSoS_** **Episode 6: _'Terror Reborn'_!!!**  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Terror Reborn

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
**_Episode 6: "TERROR REBORN"_**  


  
The security room of the Bachnia Center was a mess. Officers were frantically running back and forth, trying to find away to shoot down this agile Dempadan that was swarming around the building....just as planned.  
  
"Listen up, people!" one soldier said, barking out orders. "I want squads of riflemen in the west and north towers. Shoot that thing down and whatever you do don't let it escape!"  
  
"Sir!" another soldier who was sitting in front of a computer console called out to this commander. "There is a sensor breech in the southern sector. Two life signs and moving very fast...!"  
  
"Ah, probably just two Zeiramoids that have been running around lately..." he stopped himself and thought for a moment. "Fine, we're not taking any chances. Secure the perimeter and shut down all single-man Transemblers, just in case. No one is let in or out. Be sure to lock all security doors in lower levels A through C too. But our main priority is that Dempedan! Shoot it down!"  
  
"Yes, sir...!" the soldier said as he made the announcements over the intercom system...  
  


******  


  
Just a few moments later. Iria slowly crept along the wall, her back hugging it, with her pistol drawn and held down to her side. Kazon was few feet in front of her, peeking around the corner of the building and scanning the area. Iria looked around for a moment, hearing a few spurts of gunfire here and there...   
  
"Fujikuro..." She said quietly. "He's probably hating us right about now..." Kazon looked over his shoulder her then swiftly made his way around the corner. Iria caught a glance of him right as he went out of view, then she was quick to follow. "H-Hey!! Wait up!!"  
  
Iria caught up with him and gave him a stern look. "You know, this is the part we're you're supposed to say 'He'll be  
fine'...or 'Don't worry about him'...."  
  
Kazon said nothing just looked to an air vent a few stories above them, not saying a word...  
  
Iria sighed deeply. "You have a real problem you know that...? What's with you...?!"  
  
Kazon pause for a moment before changing the subject. "...security should be tightened around the lower levels of the building so we'll need to head for the higher levels..."  
  
Iria just shook her head and gave up, "Whatever you say, Mr. Personality..."  
  
Kazon began to get agitated. "Look...you worry about your part in this job and let everyone else deal with theirs," and before Iria could respond, Kazon pulled up the left sleeve of his coat and aimed his fist towards the air vent. Then out of the risen plate of his armor, a grappling hook fired out of it, startling Iria and then the claws latched onto the iron grating of the vent. Kaz jerked his arm back and the grate popped off the wall and fell to the ground, leaving an easy entry for the two Hunters.   
  
Iria's arms folded over her chest as she pouted a little. "Big deal. I could have done that too yanno..."  
  
Kaz gave her a quick glance as the hook retracted back into the armor, as he re-aimed and fired into the duct again. This time, it latched on to the inside lining of the vent, the little claws digging deeply into the metal. After Kazon gently pulled the rope a few time to check its security, he held his hand out for Iria...  
  
"Huh...?" Iria had this dumbfounded look on her face, she just stared at his gloved hand for the longest time. She was a bit hesitant...  
  
"_What's she doing ...? Just take it...!_" Kazon thought to himself, rather irritated. Iria timidly inched her hand out towards his. "_We're wasting time..._" A frustrated Kazon thought again as his teeth began to slightly grind together. He then just grabbed her hand and spoke aloud. "Just come on..."  
  
"What the--!?" Iria yelled as he was jerked towards him. "Hey!! What are you--!" But before she could finish her sentence, the grappling hook jerked them both upwards in a quick, sudden fashion, and bringing both to them closer to the vent...  


  
******  


  
The Kreeper was sitting in a well hidden spot, covered with limbs and leaves as camouflage Kei was laying out in the back seat of the Kreeper with her hands behind her head, looking up at the blue sky. Her mind was mostly wandering.   
  
"_Man...all this stuff is happening so quick. First Iria comes home from a job now all this stuff happens? And what's with this Kaz guy...?_" She thought then closed her dark blue eyes. "I wonder if they got in...?" She said aloud.  
  
"_Kei..._" Bob's voice rang over the speaker system. Kei quickly snapped to attention. "_They're in. Fujikuro is on his way back but he might have some troops on his tail. Are you in a good hiding place?_"  
  
Kei looked around a bit. "I should be. Fujikuro should have a problem getting here either. Of course, it would all be easier if those two would hurry up inside."  
  
"_True..._" Bob said. "_Which is why I'm going to help them out now. Lay low until I give you the signal..._."  
  
"Alright, tell 'em I said good luck!"  
  


******  


  
Kazon and Iria inched their way through he air duct on their hands and knees. Kazon was up front and Iria was a few feet behind him. Iria's mind was just like Kei's, but more of the subject of the man in front of  
her...  
  
"_I don't understand him..._" she though, "_...but I think that's just it. He DOESN'T want me to understand him...he's just so untrusting and so completely lacking in compassion it not funny. It's sad actually..._" Then she remembered what he had done before they broke into the barrier zone, that little flick of the hairbeads Kazon did. It was textbook Gren...  
  
"Hey...Kaz...?" Iria finally spoke up. "I was just wondering, but...when did you start doing that thing you do with your hairbeads?"  
  
"What does that have to do with anything...?" Kazon responded, for once.  
  
"Well, my brother used to do the same thing..." she added sadly. "Did you know him? His name was Gren..."  
  
"_Gren...?!_" Kazon thought, his eyes widening slightly. "_Gren had a sister...? And she's--....Odd...he never mentioned a sister..._" Kazon figured he better not get to into he subject...   
  
"I have no idea..." Kaz said softly. "Something as trivial as flick of the hairbeads is pure coincidence and means nothing right now. Concentrate on the job...like I told you before, you better not slow me down..."  
  
Iria grinned slightly. "I'd figure that you would say something like that..." With that they continued on their way through the duct. That is until Kazon stopped suddenly as he approached another grate on the underside of the duct. Iria stopped as well and slowly began to creep up closer as Kazon shifted his body into a sitting position with his back against the one of the ducts walls, peering down through the slotted metal.  
  
"What is it, Kaz...?" She whispered softly. Kazon held up on gloved gloved hand before he finally looked over to her. He place his finger to his mouth, telling her to remain quiet. Then with same hand, he pointed downwards over the grating. Iria looked over curiously and saw am armed guard standing watch under them. Iria looked back over to Kazon and whispered ever so softly as to not alert the guard. "What now...?"  
  
Kazon, with that same blank expression he's had on his face the whole time, calmly made a fist and punched down on the heavy grate, popping it off the duct and right down onto the guard. Iria, after flinching a little from hearing the impact, looked down again and see the guard knocked out cold with the grate on top of him.  
  
She shrugged slightly and spoke a little louder. "That'll work..."  
  
Kazon carefully lowered himself down through the hole and landed to the side of the fallen guard, his pistol drawn and held with both hands. He glanced around and saw that he was in a long, empty corridor. A few doors were here and there and ran along either side of the hallway. Iria then dropped down, her pistol drawn as well. Her other arm reached up and held it in front of her.  
  
"Bob...?" she spoke softly. "We're inside the building now..."  
  
"Good..." Bob responded as his AI image was projected. "What level are you on right now?"  
  
Iria glanced around for a moment to see if there was a sign around to tell them were they were. After she saw on near on of the doors she read it off to Bob. "Level 4."  
  
"They must have moved most of the guards down below," Kazon added softly. "They wouldn't have suspected us to come in from above.  
  
"Alright, you're are going to have to go down from there. The science labs were the Zeiram beacons are supposedly held are in the 3rd Floor Basement Level." Bob said, obviously had done his studying on the center's structure.  
  
"We can't just waltz down there either. Not with all the security down there." Iria added.  
  
"Is there an elevator or a lift near here...?" Kazon asked as he surveyed the area some more.   
  
"Yes, there is." Bob went on as the 'eye' of the hologram looked to their left. "There should be one down that way, but you can bet there will be security guarding it."  
  
"No problem!" Iria said arrogantly as Bob's AI faded away. She looked over to Kazon. "Ready...? There's no turning back now yanno." She flashed him a coy grin.  
  
"_Whatever.._." he though, and he turned and made his way down the hall. Iria just shrugged and followed him. They were soon to approach a cross section in the hallways. Kazon and Iria quickly hugged their backs against the wall as they heard voices from around the corner. Kaz cautiously peeked around the corner and saw three guards standing in front of an unusually large door...  
  
"Three of them...they're guarding a large door." Kaz whispered to Iria.  
  
"Is it the elevator?" Iria whispered back.  
  
"I believe so." Bob cut in. "That will take you directly down to the basement. I'll leave you to your work now. I'm going to check on Kei and Fujikuro."  
  
"Alright..." Iria said, returning her pistol to its holster. She turned her attention back up to Kazon and flashed a grin. "So, oh, fearless one, you want to take care of this...?"  
  
Kazon went to a small pouch attached to his belt and pulled out a small, greenish colored, glasslike orb. "You just follow my lead..."  
  
Meanwhile the three guards were conversing with each other casually, even if they were on high alert.  
  
"Hey, do you think they shot down that Dempadan that was snoopin' around here?" one soldier asked another.  
  
"Nah...I bet they let him get away," the other guard responded. "I overheard that on the radio system that he was heading back towards the barrier zone, so knowing the morons the top-brass are, they probably left him be."  
  
As they continued on with their conversing, they failed to notice the green orb roll between their feet and stop in the middle of the pack. Finally one of the guards caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye...  
  
"Hey...?" He said curiously as he looked down, gaining the others attention. They all kneeled down to get a closer look. "What the hell is that...?"  
  
Then as soon as the words came from the guards mouth, the orb exploded into a gaseous cloud, sending all three guards reeling backwards and covering their eyes. But as soon as the gas had done it's damage, it gradually evaporated into the air...  
  
"What the hell...!?!" One guard said as his dropped his weapon, both hand rubbing away at his eyes. "I can't see!!"  
  
"Me neither...!!!" another one called out. "What is this shit...?!"  
  
"**Go...!**" Kazon commanded from around the corner. Then both he and Iria made a dash for the door. Iria was quick to get ahead of Kazon, leaping into the air and taking down one of the guard with a kick to the back of the head. Kazon, meanwhile, gave another one a stiff shoulder tackle, sending the guard flying backwards until he smashed into the wall. Kazon then proceeded to the elevators computer terminal and punched in a few buttons...  
  
Iria, landing from her first kick, immediately crouched down and swept the legs out from under the last remaining guard. The guard fell flat on his on his back, the back of his head hitting the hard tile floor.  
  
Iria stood up with an arrogant grin as she acted as if she was dusting her hands off. "You're real crafty, Kaz...? This is just too easy...!"  
  
"_Exactly.._." he mumbled softly to himself as he tapped in a few more keys, he still held his gun down his side.  
  
"What..?" she eyed him curiously. "What you say...?"  
  
"...this is too easy..." he said a little louder this time, as he finally punched in the right string of keys, the sliding doors of the elevator opening slightly.   
  
Iria paused for a minute, then gave him a pompous smirk. "Yeah, you're probably right, but hey, atleast I got something out of you just then. Maybe you are lightening up after all." She looked over to him as she pulled out her pistol again. He had that same cold look on his face, on the virge of sneering even, but, Iria just casually chuckled. "...or maybe not."  
  
"_She has no cl**ue,**_" Kazon thought as he simply shook his head, entering the elevator behind her.  
  
Iria propped herself against the wall of the elevator as the doors closed, as if she were taking a break. Kazon pushed the 'B-3' button on the pad next to the door. He just stood there quietly as the elevator began to slowly move downwards. Iria kept an eye on him as they decended....and she just couldn't look away from him. Something...if anything, just attracted her towards him, something that she had no clue what it was. He, in her eyes atleast, obviously had a major personality problem, absolutely no sense of humor, and way too serious when it comes to his work, yet still had this defiance towards it....what was it about him that was so appealing to her?  
  
After a long and uncomfortable silence, Iria finally left out a soft sigh. "...you're right though," she said softly, "this is running a lot smoother than I thought it would." She looked over to Kazon. "Don't tell me you're getting a funny feeling about this...."  
  
"Do you have any idea...?" he asked rather quickly, but calmly, which seemed rather uncharacteristic from Iria's point of view.   
  
Iria's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean...?"   
  
"I mean do you have any idea what might be down there waiting on us...?"  
  
"Yeah...I know." Of course she knew...a lab full of instruments used for the creating and cloning of Zeiramoids and if Dr. Touka was right, Zeiram itself. "I guess that's a 'yes' on the funny feeling question then..."  
  
Another long silence...but by now Iria couldn't hold it back anymore, the question had been plaguing her since the Sabaku mission and since Kazon removed his helmet in the parking lot of the Outrigger...so she sucked it up, right there in the elevator, as asked him...  
  
"Kazon...? Why are you like this....?" Kazon's body immediately froze still...then he looked over his shoulder to her. "...Bob and Fujikuro told me about those rumors...about you and your partner. Is that it...? Or is there more...?"   
  
"Why should you even care...?" he responded in a low voice...almost like he didn't want to say it.  
  
"No reason really..." she said averting her eyes. "I just wanted to know a little bit more about than I do now." She looked back up to him again. "You're always like this...aren't you? To everyone...?"  
  
Another long silence....Kazon just stared at her, and she stared right back. This time, however, the stillness was broken by the dinging sound of the elevator. Iria looked up for a split second, seeing the 'B-3' displayed above the door, before returning her gaze back to Kazon.  
  
...but he just looked away and held his gun in a two-handed fashion as the doors opened... "You wouldn't understand..." Iria let out a soft, yet irritated sigh as she pushed herself away from the wall, her pistol down by her side.  
  
"You'll never know until you tell me," and she walked right passed him. Kazon's teeth began to together slightly as he watched her. The fact that, in his eyes, Iria was so nosey just annoyed him. But nevertheless, he held back is expressions and was soon to follow her out of the elevator.  
  
They walked into another hallway, this one however was too dark for either of them to see. Almost simultaneously, they both pulled out a pair of inferred goggles and slipped them on.  
  
Kazon pushed a button that was on the side of his goggles, making a small red lens slide down in front of his right eye. He looked around a bit seeing nothing or anyone around. Nothing but an eerie silence. His brow furrowed slightly. "Where are all the guards...?"  
  
Iria peeked around a corner, she too saw nothing. "No clue. You'd figure this place would be swarming with them." Iria then remember what Kaz had said earlier on the floor above. "I guess you were right...this is way too easy."  
  
Kaz slowly made his way over to her side, still looking around. "_Something isn't right..._" Then suddenly a flash of light to the side of them caught both their eyes. Both Hunters quickly turned around, guns drawn and ready to fire, but they saw no one, not even with the enhanced inferred vision. However, down the hallway, a bright light shined through an opened door. Iria looked over to Kazon with a questionive look on her face. Kazon glanced back to her, then to the light, giving a slight nod. Iria let out a soft sigh and they both began to make their way to the source.  
  
Kazon removed his goggles as he moved closer to the door. "Wait for my signal..." he whispered to her. Iria removed her goggles as well and nodded. She looked back to the light, seeing that it had a strange green undertone to it. When Kazon got to a few feet from the from the door, he moved closer to the wall with his back hugging it. He gripped his pistol tightly and took a short breath as he looked over to Iria to see if she was ready. A determined looked washed over Iria face as she nodded again.  
  
Then, with lightning quickness, they both twirled around to the inside of the door frame, standing side by side with their guns drawn and aimed straight ahead. But what they saw made their seriousness quickly shift into a look of shock.  
  
Iria lowered her weapon as she slowly made her way into the lit room with her mouth hanging open. She looked around a few times, not believing what she was seeing. Kazon let his pistol fall down to his side as he too stepped inside. He gazed around for a few seconds...then finally broke the silence.   
  
"....Zeiramoids." And he was right. That green light that illuminated the extremely large, square room was the light coming off of the large tubes which held countless numbers of the creatures that lined the walls. They just floated there, lifelessly, as if suspended in time.  
  
There was a large square hole in the floor, and Iria walked over to the railing. She leaned over the side to see that this room had multiple levels of these 'test tubes', a total of three levels. "Outrageous...! Bob..?!" She held her arm out as the AI image appeared. "You gotta see this...!"  
  
The tiny 'eye' panned around for a few moments. "Hmm...I don't know what to make of this..." Bob said finally. "This is obviously more than we bargained for. But they don't seem to look very 'natural' in these tubes. More like clones of the clones of Zeiram."  
  
"If that's the case," Kazon said as he walked over to the railing, "with these 'clones' and the 'real' Zeiramoids that are being called here from those beacons--"  
  
"Then this isn't going to be easy at all..." Iria finished his sentence for him. "Why would Tedan Tippedai do something like this...?!"  
  
"Excellent question, my dear...." A familiar, older sounding voice called from behind them. Kazon quickly pivoted around and brought up his pistol. It was aimed only a few inches from the old man's face. Iria turned around as well and her eyes widened at the sight of this man.   
  
Her surprise was soon washed away as her eyes narrowed. "...Puttubayh. I should have known."  
  
"Alas, we meet again young lady," President Puttubayh said, "and with a new friend it seems." He seemed rather calm in nature, despite the fact that there was a gun right in his face. Puttubayh merely shrugged and gazed around at his 'collection'. "They're works of art you know. Each and every one of them, more powerful than the last. This group has yet to be completed, but once they are finished, oh think of the  
possibilities!"  
  
"You're sick....!" Kazon said his eyes narrowing, the grip on his gun tightening.   
  
"How did you find out about this job!?" Iria asked. "Is this why there are no guards around this place?!"  
  
"Indeed, my dear," Puttubayh went on, "and as for my being here, you can thank the good doctor for that..."  
  
Kazon pressed the barrel of the gun right up next to his forehead. "What have you done with Touka?"  
  
"You needn't worry about him. He will not be harmed...that is..." Puttubayh said as he chuckled nervously, growing a little scared of that cold look in Kazon's eyes. He reached up cautiously with one hand and gently pushed the pistol away, "...that is, he won't be unless you harm me first."   
  
Kazon pulled the gun away quickly, but then placed it right back were it was. The look on his face had drastically changed, now sporting a furious expression. "What are you trying to prove with all of this!?" He screamed out in anger. Iria watched on with look of shock. Kaz showing this much emotion?  
  
Puttubayh began to cower down to this furious Hunter. "But, I--Uhh--!" He was about to start moving back, but Kazon's gloved hand reached out and grabbed him by the collar.   
  
"Answer me!" Kaz repeated as he jerked him closer. "This center, the Zeiramoids, Touka, and hell, assuming there is one, the Zeiram Unit itself! What are you trying to prove?!"  
  
"_Kaz.._." Iria thought to herself.  
  
"You know that Zeiram can't be controlled by humans!" Kazon yelled in a livid voice, pulling him even closer and keeping the gun pressed to his head. "Why in the hell would you get the idea of trying it again!? Do you have any idea about what you might have done!?"  
  
"It worked on that planet didn't it...?" Puttubayh said coyly. Kazon's face went pale immediately, his eyes widening a great deal. Iria just watched on. "That's right..." Puttubayh added with a chuckle as Kazon's eyes averted. "Zeiram can be controlled, as you witnessed first hand...."  
  
"Those rumors? So, they were true...!?" Bob's voice called out.  
  
"Wha--...?" Iria mumbled, looking back and forth between Puttubayh and Kazon in confusion..  
  
"If the head of Tedan Tippedai is admitting this, then it must be true!" Bob added.  
  
"Four years ago...Hunter Locke?" Puttubayh went on, acting as if he and Kazon were the only two there and ignoring the rest. "You saw it...the 'controlled' power of the Zeiram Unit, did you not...?!"  
  
"Shut up..." Kazon said quietly, his head hanging low.  
  
"'Survey the planet'...how naive you two were back then. You two were nothing but guenia pigs for the final test! Puppets manipulated by Tedan Tippedai!" Puttubayh said again.  
  
"I said shut up...!" Kazon pleaded again, the tone and the anger rising in his voice.  
  
"Kaz...don't...!" Iria said quietly but stayed away from him, afraid to interfere.  
  
"You were weak back then Hunter Locke, Zeiram manhandled you! Unfortunately..." he put an accent to the word, "...you survived." Puttubayh then grinned slightly. "Too bad Hunter Ouspi wasn't as lucky, eh...?"  
  
"**Shut up!!!**" Kazon yelled as he looked up with a raging fury in his eyes, and his grip tighten around the trigger. If there was a button not to press on this young man, Puttubayh just smashed it. The look in Kazon's dark green eyes was the look of that of a madman.  
  
"**Kaz, don't do it!**" both Iria and Bob called out at the same time, but they were to late. Iria closed and covered her eyes as she heard a gun fire, if not a little before...then everything was still and eerily silent. Iria was hesitant to open her eyes but she eventually did as she lowered the arm that was covering her face. Then, she let out a shocked sigh at the site she saw. "P-Puttubayh...!?"  
  
Kazon, stood there holding Puttubayh by the collar with his pistol still pressed to his head. Kaz slowly looked down to the President's stomach in amazement, blood was everywhere. Puttubayh was indeed shot...but not by Kazon's gun. This wound entered the President's body from behind...then Kazon took a deep breath and felt a sharp pain growing in his own body. He looked down to see that the bullet had passed through Puttubayh and caught him as well. Iria watched in fear as Kazon dropped his gun and as his grip on Puttubayh grew shaky.  
  
"Who--...?!" Kazon said, gasping for air as he dropped Puttubayh's limp body and his gun as well. His gloved hands grasped onto his stomach, around the area where his wound was. He looked back up with wincing expression to see exactly who or what did this...  
  
The assailant held a pistol out with one gloved hand as the other casually ran through his dirty-blonde hair. This person's lips curled mischievous grin. "Well, now..." the deep, male voice said quietly.   
  
"Two-For-One...not bad," the voice said, chuckling evilly.   
  
Iria let out a gasp as the person came into view. "**_Vice-president Tsutomegi...!?_**"  
  


***************  
  
  
**_NEXT TIME!!:_**   
Kross reveals his true colors, taking out President Puttubayh and maybe even Kazon as well! What's Iria to do to? Get some answers to tie this all together, that's what! But can she get the answers she needs, help Kaz, AND fulfill the mission as planned...or will Kross have 'other' plans? Find out in the next episode of **_IRIA: TSoS_** **Episode 7 '_The Escape_'**!  


  
  
  
  
  



	8. The Escape

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
**_Episode 7: "THE ESCAPE"_**  


  
Iria's mouth hung wide open as she looked down to the fallen Puttubayh. His aging body was motionless and the pupils of his eyes were dilated. Her eyes then glanced over to the gaping, bloody hole through the back of his prnate suit, the hole made by the bullet that tore through his body...  
  
"Puttubayh...!" Iria said softly. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up to the gunman, Kross Tsutomegi. "How could you?! Hell, he's your boss!"  
  
"...'Was'..." Kross responded with a grin, lowering the aim of his pistol. "He 'was' the boss. Besides," he chuckled and motioned towards Kazon, "from the looks of it, this valiant one was about to do my job for me. I just couldn't let him take my piece of the pie, now could I?"  
  
Kazon was gripping his stomach and breathing in deeply from were the bullet passed through the former President and into his own body. He teeth clinched together as his eyes narrowed...but his legs were growing weak under him. Yet, he could still muster enough strength to remain standing.  
  
Kross slowly stalked his way closer to the wounded Hunter, his single-shouldered cape bellowing behind him. That same grin across his lips. "Sorry for that one, my friend. Leave it to Puttubayh to be so frail and scrawny...Tisk, tisk...went right through him. You have my sincerest apologizes..."  
  
Kazon staggered back a little as he started growing way too weak to hold himself together much longer. He lifted his gloved hand from the wound to see what damage lie beneath. He glanced down to see a small hole ripped through his trench coat, and his black bodysuit was torn and coved in blood. He moved his gaze to his gloved hand to see that it too was stained with his own blood.   
  
"...S-hit..." He said as he finally gave in and couldn't help but to drop to a knee, letting out a pained gasp as it hit the ground. This also prompted Kross to stop moving closer, stopping a few feet from him.  
  
"Kaz!" Iria rushed to his side immediately, on her knees and supported him with her arms. She had a very fearful look in her eyes, something she never thought she would have for this 'jerk'. But even so, this stone cold young man taken down with one blow? The emotion he was showing, the pain in his eyes...Kazon was human after all, not the 'personality crisis' she made him out to be. She sneered as she looked back to the devilish Kross, who was standing with on hand on his hip and gun down to his side. "You bastard! You don't mean a damn word of that!"  
  
Kross didn't seem to be paying much attention to her, he was too preoccupied in basking in the light of the large Zeiramoid containers that surrounded him. That grin, yep, was still there, if not intensified.  
  
"Are you even listening to me!?" Iria yelled out again, but got nothing in response. "**Hey!**"  
  
"The old man was right about one thing..." Kross said with a chuckle, ignoring Iria, "...they are indeed works of art." He looked to Iria with an evil smirk. "It's like a painting, you know? Only with the proper artist's unique touches can the painting truly come to life...."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean...?!" Iria shouted angrily.  
  
"Puttubayh began the Zeiram Project once again in order to have the most powerful army known to the universe, a Zeiramoid army...but that's all he wanted. I want something more, and that's the universe itself!" Kross went on, arrogantly enjoying every minute of this so-called 'victory', even going as far holding his arm out to simulate the word 'universe'.   
  
"So you kill Puttubayh so you could be in charge and run things _your_ way?" Iria asked through her grinding teeth. "Now that he's gone you can do whatever you please..?!"  
  
"...'_Et tu Brute_' indeed." Kross said with a nod and a smile. "If you will remember, Puttubayh was pronounced dead after the Karma incident anyway. Word leaked out that he was still alive and well in Myce City, but still, no one really cared the old fart. Puttubayh was a weak leader and lacked the support of the people. So, in a way, his 'name' was promoted to president of the company rather than the man himself. So his death means nothing to anyone....except me," he couldn't help but to laugh softly. "Besides, he was just the figurehead while I did all the work, setting the people and the company back on the right foot in the midst of all the corporate scandal..."   
  
Iria thought to herself for a moment. Kross did have a point, since Puttubayh was claimed to be 'dead', she knew he was alive, but she hadn't heard from him or seen him at all since the day she recovered Bob's AI. Not on the TV, news reports...it all came from the Kross, not Puttubayh. He _was_ promoted to president...but was it just so that Kross could be brought in? "_Is there a higher power in all of this?_" Iria thought...  
  
"You manipulated him..." Iria said, coming to a realization, then her voice grew louder. "You used him for this...! Zeiramoids!? And why are you telling us this?! You must be pretty confident that we won't talk...!"  
  
Kross shrugged. "You're right, I don't see you two talking at all. I also don't see you two walking out of here alive," he said with a smirk.  
  
"Wha--?!"  
  
He grinned to himself a little. "...you see, just these Zeiramoids...they're not enough to satisfy my hunger for power. In fact, they're worthless to me without the 'big prize'," he started to make his way over to a console that was attached to the railing that surrounded the large, squared hole in the floor. He pushed a few buttons as continued on with his speech "...so by taking Puttubayh out of the picture, the 'painting' can be completed as it should, and that's with 'my' final touches." He laughed softly and sinisterly as he glanced over to Iria and Kazon from the corner of his eye. "The unkillable butcher is now...**_mine_**..."  
  
"Zeiram?!" Kazon yelled loudly, still with that pained, yet fearful, hint in his voice.  
  
Iria gasped as Touka's word ran through her mind. He spoke of the possibility of a new Zeiram Unit being partially completed, however he didn't know how far along the operation was. The way Kross was talking, it was as if it _was _done....  
  
"Puttubayh had the right idea years ago. To control the Zeiram Unit is to control the world. Unparalleled strength andseemingly endless stamina. Zeiram, the perfect weapon! The weapon to end all weapons! The good president wanted this....but he lacked the fundamental skills to control it properly on the Karma, thus prompting the Zeiram incident one year ago." Kross said running a hand coyly through his hair. "I, however, have this ability to control it...I've proved this to be true once before and I plan on doing it again...."  
  
"'Proved it...to be true'...?" Kazon said in a very low voice between his deep breaths.  
  
"Yes, my friend..." He tapped a few more buttons. "It is indeed a long story...but you'll know soon enough...." and with that, Kross pressed one last button and the whole room began to shake violently. Kross grabbed the railing with both hands to stabilize himself, but he still had that maddening look, grinning as he watched on. A million things were happening around Iria as she and Kazon looked around at the tubes of the incomplete Zeiramoids who were stirring around in their tubes, agitated by all the shaking. Portions of the walls began to buckle and shatter, sending pieces falling to the floor. Iria grabbed on to the railing and pulled both her and the wounded Kazon up to their feet.   


  
*****  


  
Outside, Kei and Fujikuro both looked on from their hiding place as smoke began to emit from the building. Kei's eyes widened slightly as she began to hear the rumbling sounds.  
  
"That better not be them..." Fujikuro said softly with a stern.   
  
"Do you think that their in a battle...?" Kei asked.  
  
"How should I know?!" he said in an aggitated voice. "But if they're not, I bet they're in for one. I gotta really bad feelin' about all this..."  
  
"Me too..."  
  


*****  


  
The security room of the Bachnia Center was in an even bigger panic than before. The violent rumbling forced the guards to all brace themselves on to something. Finally, one soldier called out to one of the ensigns...  
  
"What the hell is going on...?!"  
  
The ensign slowly typed a few things into his computer, making sure he hit the right keys in the midst of all the shaking. "....what the--!! Captain! Someone's activated the lift in one of the Zeiramoid chambers on Level B-3!!"  
  
"Which chamber on B-3?!?!" The Captain yelled back.  
  
"Chamber 4...the one with--!!" the young ensign stopped himself before finished his sentence.  
  
"_No...This can't be...!! Who could be doing this...!?_" the Captain thought...then his voice rose again. "Seal off all the basement floors and be sure all the single-man Transit Gates are down on each level! Don't let anyone in or out of those floors!!"  
  


_*****_  


  
Iria looked over to Kross as she held on to the railing and yelled over the rumbling. "What did you do!?" But she got no answer....  
  
Kazon, still holding his stomach where he had been shot, saw that Kross looking down into the opening in the floor with that maddening look, so he glanced down into it too. Upon seeing what was happening, he let out a loud and painful gasp and his eyes widened greatly. "It's...moving...!!"  
  
"Huh...?" Iria turned her attention away from Kross and look down into the hole as well. A surprised look came over her face as well when she saw that what she thought was the ground floor below slowly creep upwards towards them. Then she saw that same unusual greenish glow emitting from something in the center of the lift. "What the--?! Is that--?!"  
  
Sure enough, as the lift finally made it way up and as the rumbling became more subtle, another tube, extremely larger than the other tubes in the huge room, came into view. Iria and Kaz could only watch on with terrified looks as the tube made its way into view, revealing something...more. Inch-by-horrorfying-inch, a black head shaped almost like a disk sporting a small, doll-like face right in the middle of it. The eyes of this angelic face we closed, and that red 'beam' that were the monster's 'eyes' was not shining at all, seeming as if it was in a docile state. Iria knew this unusual visage all too well, and as it's dark, bare, and massive body came into view, the look on Kazon's face quickly changed from horrified to a look of extreme and painful anger. _It_ was back, and '_it_' was Zeiram....   
  
The lift stopped with a loud bang as it reached their 'floor', and the two Hunters didn't say a word in the eerie silence that followed. The rumbling had finally stopped and all was still. Kross looked on with a devilish grin, then jumped over the railing with ease.   
  
"What did I do...? What did I do, you ask?!" Kross asked turning around to face Iria laughing manically, however still making his way to the tube in a backwards fashion. "I've just kicked-started a brand new era in universal history! The grand opening of a new world order with Yours Truely and the new '**_BETA-Zeiram_**" at the helm!"  
  
"'_BETA_'...?" Iria asked softly. "Dr. Touka was right then..."  
  
Kross turned around to view the monster with a wicked smile. "_BETA_ ... it's code name. One year ago, we searched for months trying to find the body of the original Zeiram, coded as '_ALPHA_', until a fortunate combat team stumbled on it in the Stardust Desert. They brought it here and now..." he laughed evilly. "...now, I can finally claim my prize! All the thoughts and powers of the original _ALPHA_ fused and refined into _BETA_! _This_ is what I've been wanting....and now it's all mine..!!"  
  
Just then the sound of a gun cocking was heard and Iria snapped to attention. Iria watched in shock as she saw Kaz with his pistol drawn and aimed directly at Tsutomegi's back, with a livid expression on his face and his blood dripping from his trechcoat onto the smooth floor beneath him. "_Kaz._..?" she said softly.  
  
Kross looked over his shoulder to Kaz. He flashed him a grin. "You're a persistent case....such a rare breed you Hunters are." Kazon said nothing, his teeth were just grinding together in anger. It was like he wasn't feeling anything at all from the wound anymore...like he was possessed by something and running on pure adrenaline.  
  
"Iria..." Bob's voice softly cut in, gaining the Hunter's attention. "You two need to get out of there now..."  
  
"What about the mission?" Iria responded in a whisper. "We don't even know where those Zeiram beacons are..."  
  
Kross heard the two talking and he looked over to Iria with a grin. "You're support, I take it? I didn't foil you're plans did I...?"  
  
Iria sneered in Kross' direction. She didn't want to just run from a mission before it was completed, Gren tought her better than that, but on the other hand she also wanted to make it out of there alive. Bob continued. "Forget the mission, Iria, and get out of there now. From the looks of it, beacons are the last of your worries, and I don't think you'll be able to make it back to Kei with Kazon in his condition. Security has blocked off all the exits anyway. So we'll have to find another way. I may be able to hack into the Transembler systems and open the one on your level..."  
  
"Do what you have to do, Bob...but as for Kaz...?" Iria glanced over to the poised and ready-to-fire Kazon and lowered her voice a little. "I don't think this is the best of times..."  
  
"He's bleeding Iria, he needs help--"   
  
Kazon cut him off in a snarling, angered tone. "I'm fine...!"  
  
"Kaz..." Bob said quietly, transfering onto Kazon's mini-com. "Please listen, you're in no condition to fight and you need help now."  
  
Kross kept his back turned toward them. "Listen to him, my friend...all you have to do is run away." His chuckled softly, "it's what you're good at right...?"  
  
Kazon growled. "'_BETA_', '_ALPHA_'...?! It doesn't matter! Zeiram is Zeiram, and you're a fool to think you can actually control him!" Kazon yelled, his finger tightening on the trigger, preparing to undoubtedly fire. "And I'm not going to leave here until both you and that monster are dead!"  
  
"**Kaz!**" Iria shouted and made a lunge towards him, but Kazon had pulled the trigger and sent a single bullet that cut through the air. In a split second, Kross grinned and jumped out of the bullet's path, landing in a crouched position to the left of the tube holding _BETA_-Zeiram. But the bullet then smashed through the glass of the tube and right into the stomach region of the beast. There was another chilling silence afterwards...the only thing that could be hear was the sound of the greenish liquid inside of the tube slowly draining through the small hole made by the bullet.  
  
After a few more moments, Kross began to laugh softly. "..._you fool_...!"  
  
Kaz glanced over to Kross with a furious look on his face, but then something else caught his eye and drew a gasp from Iria. Kazon's jaw dropped as the red beam across the face of Zeiram slowly began to glow, getting brighter and brighter by the second. "  
  
"_Did I...?!_" Kazon thought himself, but whatever his question was, it was soon answered as the eyes on the small face opened, revealing those chilling, blood-red eyes and flashed it's long and sharp fangs. The Zeiram unit's arms began to slowly move inside it's tube and it's fingers balled into fists.  
  
"This can't be...!!" Iria shouted. "It's completed?!"  
  
Kazon watched the monster closely as visions of what happened four years ago replayed in his head. Zeiram was back, and Kazon wasn't going to let it happen again. His eyes narrowed and he re-aimed his pistol right at the head. "_He's still 'fresh'..._" Kazon thought. "_Assuming this is the first time it's awoken, it should be somewhat weakened...maybe..._" Then he began firing at the creature and moving in closer at the same time.  
  
Shot by shot, bullets zoomed through the glass and into Zeiram, each causing the monster to cry out in pain. Kross stood up straight and folded his arms casually across his chest, grinning from ear to ear as he stepped back into the shadows and out of view. Iria watched as Kaz stopped his attack for a moment to jump the railing as Kross did earlier, but when he landed, a sharp pain took over his body and Kaz immediately grasped the wound on his stomach.   
  
"Kaz!" Iria shouted. "Forget about Zeiram and let's get out of here!" Once again, Kaz gave no response and just forced himself back into a standing position. Kazon re-aimed his gun and began firing again. Iria's eyes narrowed as she continued to scream at him, trying her best to get through to him. "There will be another time! Stop it and let's go!"  
  
Zeiram shook off a few of the bullets, sending them ricocheting into the surrounding capsules of the Zeiramoids. Then finally, a few feet away from the tube, Kazon stopped and shot a barrage at the creature, giving it all he had and not letting up one bit. He gave out a long and chilling scream as he poured on the fire like a maniac, it was clear now that it truly as if he was a man possessed...  
  
After taking all that the 'young' Zeiram could handle, it let out a anguishing screech of his own and it's massive body lunged out of the tube, the glass exploding and sent into all different directions. The monster landed with a giant thud as his feet hit the floor. Kazon gasped as he was caught off guard and one piece of the glass snagged him under his left eye, around the cheek bone area. One gloved hand clasped onto the cut, but before he could do any thing else, he saw a black fist come in from the side and bash him right in the side of the head. The impact was so great, and because Zeiram was such a powerhouse, Kazon was knocked off his feet and sent flying backwards, all the way into the wall next to the door they had entered. He hit hard and fell to the ground in a heap; his gun flew out of his hand upon impact and slid across the smooth floor before coming to a stop a few feet away.  
  
"**NO**! Kaz!" Iria ran to his side and shook him. "Kaz..!?" Nothing...he was breathing still, but he was out of it and the blood began to flow from the cut under his eye. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke between her teeth, "Kaz, you stubborn bastard..." She threw one of his arms over her shoulder and lifted him up with all her strength, then she drug his body to the door. She glanced back to a roaring Zeiram one last time before she and Kazon quickly went through the opening, it closing behind them.  
  
Zeiram's growling subsided for a moment remaining perfectly still. It let out a low, sustained growl as it's eyes remained on the door, the small face also shrieking softly at the same time. Kross suddenly emerged from hiding and approached the beast. He stopped beside Zeiram and his arms were still crossed casually over his chest before one moved upward to run it's gloved hand through his dirty-blonde hair. His arms dropped down to his sides and then finally spoke in a soft voice.   
  
"_BETA_.......**_kill them_.**"  
**  
**

*****  


  
Iria drug the battered Kazon down the darkened hallway as fast as she could. "Bob! Have you opened that Transit Gate yet?!"   
  
"...Working on it. Just keep going down that hall until you reach the end, then hang a right," Bob said as Zeiram crashed through the door they had just came through. Iria screamed as she looked over her shoulder to see those red eyes on that white face staring the two of them down. She quickened her pace as it stalked its way closer behind them.   
  
Iria pushed the button on the silver plate that was attached to her crimson cloak, releasing the buckle on her rifle that was strapped to her back. While still holding the dazed Kazon up, she skillfully swung the rifle around using only her hips and a shrug of her shoulders and caught it in one hand. Iria blindly pointed it backwards and fired a few shots in an attempt to slow Zeiram down while she drug Kazon down the hall.  
  
"Alright, the Transit Gate is up. Remember, it can only Transit one of you at a time. Send Kazon first then it's your turn." Bob said again. "I've already told Kei to pilot the Kreeper to the Transit Station 2 to pick you up. Hurry though, I don't know how much longer I can keep it open..."  
  
"That's easier said than done, Bob!" Snapping off a few more shots as she finally got to the end of the hallway and turned right as she was instructed. "Now, where to?!"  
  
"It's the 3rd door on you're right. Hurry up!!"  
  
She looked up and saw that the doors were very far apart, plenty of room for Zeiram to catch up with them if she slipped up now. "Damnit...! This is a heck of a job you're giving me here, Bob!" As Zeiram turned the corner, she flung her rifle back over her shoulder and reattached it to the armored plate. She then pulled out a small cylinder-like tube with a button on one end from he cloak.  
  
Bob couldn't help but to chuckle softly as she quoted his old friend. "Whaddya know? ...Like brother, like sister..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah... 'How'd that happen?'...just keep that gate open...!" Iria said as she pushed down on the button with her thumb before tossing it back towards Zeiram. As the beast crept forward, that white face still snarling, the capsule landed in front of it and rolled between it's feet. It then exploded in a fiery fury, so much that it took the butcher down along with a portion of the ceiling above which came down on it. But Zeiram was up to it's feet quickly and began to move slightly faster to make up for lost ground between the two.  
  
Iria, too, quickened the pace even more. "_Come on...!!_" Iria thought to herself. Just then, Kazon groaned softly as his body began to stir. Iria gasped softly. "Kaz...!"  
  
"Zeiram...?! ...Ouspi?!!" Kazon said softly and in a painful tone, his eyes closed tight.  
  
"_Ouspi..?_" she said softly. Finally, she made it to the door Bob had talked about, pulling out another one of those grenade-like capsules. Bob bypassed the security mechanism and the door slid open. Iria looked inside to see that the Transit Gate was already glowing and ready to transport. "Sorry about this, Kaz, but--" She shoved Kazon inside the room and he stumbled and fell into the Transit Zone. A green colored aura wrapped around his body and then he vanished into thin air.  
  
Still outside the room, Iria pressed in the button once again and hurled it right at Zeiram. As it exploded, she ran into the room, dodging part of the smoke that engulfed the corridor. She let out a relived sigh as the green aura surrounded her...but she could still hear the shrill shrieking of the Zeiram Unit as she was transported away. They had escaped for now...  
  
...but the harsh reality still remained. Kazon was hurt physically...but both Hunters were scarred emotionally. Zeiram was back in both their lives and under the control of a madman. The terror was reborn, and the conspiracy lives on...  
  


***************  


  


**_Author's Notes_**:   
*Ernie Klump voice* "It gittin' thick now'..." LoL Indeed, it's getting right into it now and there's lots of information yet to be told. Just keeps you guessing, eh? Ah well, that's the point. Ya like the Kaz/Iria interaction? About time he started showing _something_, right? LoL Here's what's up next! BTW, Review now!   
**_  
NEXT TIME!!:_**   
Days pass after the happenings at the Bachnia Center and Iria's house has the slight case of 'general confusion'. Kaz is out of it, but for how long? ...and...Iria wants to know something...from a _certain someone_. All and more in the next episode of **_IRIA: TSoS_** **Episode 7: '_Wake Me The Morning After_'!**  


  
  
  
  
  



	9. Wake Me the Morning After

****

"_IRIA: The Soul of Silence_"

An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic

Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!

__

Episode 8: "WAKE ME THE MORNING AFTER"

"...I've proved it to be true once before..." a chilling, yet familiar voice called out over the dark void.

Kazon's haunting green eyes slowly opened, squinted slightly so that they could gradually adjust to the darkness that had engulfed him.

__

"...where....am I...?" he though as one gloved hand reached up to gently rub his eyes. As they finally adjusted, he peered around cautiously to figure out were he was. He was standing in a desolate, barren place that resembled the planet he was on that day, four years ago. He looked up to the cold night sky as his skin felt the chilly breeze that swept through the air. He stood there confused and wondered how he got to this place...

__

"...prove it again..." Kazon snapped to attention upon hearing this strange, phantom-like voice call out to him. He positioning himself in a defensive pose as his eyes narrowed.

"Who's there...?!" he called out nervously. His fist quenched tightly as his eyes scanned the area. Strangely though, no one was there...just him, alone on this planet. He relaxed a bit and carefully dropped his guard.

__

"...run away..." The voice called out again from behind him this time. Kazon turned quickly to see the image of a small boy, maybe five or six years of age, standing there wearing dirty, tattered clothes and his eyes shut. Kazon gasped slightly upon seeing this boy, eyeing his dark brown hair that was obviously un-kept. His skin was of a tanned tone, but not as dark as Kazon's currently was, but his face was dirty, like it had been washed in ages. Before Kazon could say anything else, the boy's eyes opened at dove right into the Hunter's own eyes. Their color: ...a dark shade of green, identical to Kazon's. There followed a stare down between the two, as a single drop of sweat began to roll down the side of Kazon face in a nervous fear as to what was this was that he was experiencing...

"W-w-who are you...?!" Kazon finally said to the boy, breaking the long silence. The young boy didn't say a word, because Kaz really didn't need to ask such a question for knew exactly who this boy was. It was unmistakable, and Kazon's face flushed pale... "You're...**_me_**....?" The boy slowly nodded. Indeed, it was the splitting image of Kazon Locke as a young boy... 

Kazon took a few steps back in fear. "What's going on...!? This can't be real!!" Suddenly, the boy raised a single hand, pointing at something that was behind Kazon. The afraid Hunter hesitated at first, but eventually turned his head and glanced over his shoulder...when he did, the boy slowly faded away into the darkness...

Kazon then saw something that he really couldn't believe. Off in the distance, he could see a campfire burning bright, illuminating this dark region. Sitting in front of it was an old man in a long black coat. Kazon's body immediately froze as he spoke so softly, it was if he was barely mouthing the words...

__

"...Ouspi...!?"

****

"Ouspi!!!" another voice called out from behind Kazon again, but the odd thing was that it **was** Kazon's voice...

Kazon immediately turned back around and his eyes widen to the site of a teenage Kazon getting knocked back from a punch of a huge, dark creature cloaked in ragged, brown clothing . Kazon's body began to tremble as he watched the confrontation play out...his memories coming to life again.

"This--...?! Zeiram!!" Kazon looked on in horror as the beast admisistered the final blow on to the younger version of himself, the last thing he remembered before he was out cold and he could only repeat himself. "This....isn't real....!" 

__

"...run away....it's what's you're good at..."

"**Stop it!!!!!!**"Kazon screamed out loud, wanting this harsh visualization to end.

Then suddenly, the scene warped over to the campsite and Kazon was standing right in the middle of it. It startled Kazon at first, still confused as hell about all of this around him. But then he heard a rustling behind him in one of the tents he remembered setting up all those years ago. Kazon turned to face it, seeing this instructor lazily crawling out of it.

"What the hell has that kid got himself into now...?" Ouspi said in his rugged, scruffy voice.

"_It's him_..." Kazon's face went to an even paler shade than before. _"I...can't believe this." _Then his expression flushed into a look of shock. _"Wait...!! This must be where--!!" _but before he could get the words out, two shots were fired from a pistol incased in the shadows, Kazon quickly shielded his eyes. The only thing he heard was the sounds of a man crying out in pain...then every thing was silent again.

Kazon cringed in fear as he slowly moved his hands away from his eyes...and he looked down to see his instructor face down in a pool of own blood with two bullet holes in is back. 

"_Ouspi_..." His eyes began to tear up just like they did four years ago...he was truly living this nightmare all over again. He fell to his knees and his gloved hands clenched into fists. He didn't want to see this again...and he cried out in a mix of sadness and anger, **_"Ouuuuusssspi!!!" _**

"...proved it once....before...." That voice was back...and it seemed as if it sounded more and more familiar with each word. Kazon looked over his shoulder with his eyes narrowed in anger, seeing the gun pointing right at his instructor and could hear the sound of a voice chuckling softly. The gunman slowly moved in closer to the campfire, it's light brightening his face. Kazon's jaw dropped in udder disbelief....

"Test....**complete**..." There stood Kross Tsutomegi, a younger Kross Tsutomegi, with his dirty blonde hair and is pale iris eyes peering down on the fallen Hunter. Kazon stared speechless as the words replayed over and over in his mind. 'Proved it once before', it all made sense...could Kross have killed Ouspi...?

Whoever did it, this vision Kross flashed an evil grin and gave a soft chuckle as he glanced over to Kazon, re-aiming his pistol right at the young Hunter's face. Kazon eyes widened and he gasped deeply as a loud bang was emitted from the gun...

******

Kazon let out a scream as his eyes shot open immediately as he sat up from his bed in a cold sweat and out of breath. He just sat there for a while, breathing in a deep as he could, his mind in total confusion as to what he just experienced...

__

"Was it...a dream....? Kross...did he--?" He was cut of as his sudden rush of adrenaline wore off and he could feel a sharp pain in his stomach that stretched throughout his body, immediately cringing and grasping in it to hold in the pain. While in this position, he examined himself carefully as his memory slowly returned to him. He was shirtless, his abdomen wrapped tightly in large regeneration bandages. He remembered holding his gun to Puttubayh's head, and Kross' bullet pass through the both of them. His lower body was still strangely clad in his armor, with the exception of his boots. It looked as if he was brought in here, where ever 'here' may be and let alone after treatment. He glanced around at his surroundings and saw that he was at in a bed. His eyes squinted slightly as he gazed over to the window. The Mycian sun was shining brilliantly, the shine of a morning sun. Kaz was still not sure were he was though, but the room was nicely furnished and rather large. 

__

"Where am I...?...Bachnia...what...happened...?" he looked around a bit more and saw a nightstand beside the bed he was sitting in. On it were two picture frames, one with a picture of Iria and Kei goofing off with Fujikuro in the background with a dumbfounded look on his face. The other was another picture of Iria...a much younger Iria, standing next to and looking up, with much admiration, to a man with pale-ish green hair that was smiling down to her in return.

__

"...Gren...?" Kazon thought to himself. He remembered Iria saying something about Gren being her brother...but her story all seemed odd to him. He let out a deep sigh as he came to the obvious conclusion, he was back at Iria's house. One hand reach up from his stomach to gently rub his face, but to his surprise, another bandage was on his left cheek. "What the--?" He thought, as the visions of Zeiram crashing through his tube-like chamber and a piece of stray glass swiping his face. 

__

"That's right..." he said softly. "I remember now...Zeiram..._BETA_...." his eyes began to narrow slightly. **_"Kross....!!!" _**Before he could get himself further worked up, the pain from his wound resonated through his body once again, making him hunch over and wince in pain.

Suddenly the door leading into the room slid open and in ran Fujikuro. He ran to anguishing Kazon's side and helped him sit up straight again.

"Hey, hey...!" He said in a kinda whispering voice. "...take it easy kid. Don't go so fast, take it slow for now....!" Kazon's eyes were closed tightly in pain, one opened at glance over to the aging Hunter, wondering why he was speaking in such a soft tone of voice.

Fujikuro looked over Kazon to something that was behind the young man. "You're lucky your moanin' and groanin' didn't wake her up..." Fujikuro said with grin. Kazon's expression shifted to a puzzled look as he slowly followed Fujikuro's gaze. Fujikuro, on the other hand, left the room rather quickly...

There she lay on the floor with a single blanket over her. Iria...wearing her blue and while pajama attire and fast asleep. She lay on her stomach breathing softly with her arms both folded under her head, serving as a pillow. She lay facing Kazon and she looked so tranquil with the morning sun gently beating down on her. Kaz was just in awe at this...beauty before him. It was like he had never seen something like this before, and from the same person that had been at his throat constantly recently, in his eyes at least. But more importantly, why was she in here? It was her room it seemed, with all the pictures, but with him? He was just in awe...that is, until Fujikuro poked his head back into the door.

"Hey, lover boy..." Fujikuro mocked him with a grin as tossed a blue T-shirt he just went to get at him. "Stop gawkin', put this on, and get in here before ya do wake her up...then we'll all be in for it..."

Kazon sighed softly as he slowly pulled the cover off of him and began to stand. "_Tch, whatever_..."

*****

Kazon had slipped on the shirt and was sitting on the couch with one arm clasping his stomach, the other with his elbow on his knee and falling across his other leg. Those dark green eyes just stared off into nothing as they usually did...but something was different from that emotionless gaze that usually plagued his eyes. This stare was icy, packed so full of thought and emotion you really couldn't tell what was going through his mind, but you could tell he was thinking of many things. Just then Fujikuro walked into the room with two mugs of black coffee...

"Iria told us the whole story of what happened back there..." Fujikuro said setting one of the hot mugs in front of Kazon, keeping the other for himself. "About Puttubayh...Tsutomegi...Zeiram...it was all really confusing. Hell, even Bob wasn't 100% sure of it all..." He took a sip of his coffee as he leaned back against the console of the large supercomputer that was in the room.

"How many days ago was the mission...?" Kazon asked softly, not even acknowledging the coffee, or Fujikuro for that matter really, just a question he threw out there. He kept his eyes on that one random place off to the side.

"You've been out of it for four days now..." Fujikuro responded. "...and when you get the chance, you should really thank Iria too." That got Kazon's attention, snapping a gaze toward the usually arrogant man. Fujikuro just nodded. "She got you back here in one piece after you two Transited out of there and was by your side the whole time you were out cold in the building, Zeiram chacing after you and all. 'Weren't for her, you probably be back in Bachnia with Zeiramoids feasting on your ass. You really should thank her, yanno..." he said with a more of a commanding tone than a request.

Kazon just stared into his eyes briefly before slowly looking away. "...fine."

Fujikuro shrugged slightly. "Tedan Tippedai has been going nuts as well. Puttubayh's body no where to be found, Kross missing, and rumors of Zeiram sightings....it's all messed up. One good thing out of it all though is they released the Doc from whereever it was they were holding him. I guess with all the shit that went on last time Zeiram was around, they need a guy like Touka." He sipped his coffee again. "To tell ya the truth, it is like one year ago all over again, except now it seems we might end up fighting along side Tedan Tippedai and the Administration Army. Who'da thunk...?" Kazon said nothing he just sat there. 

"I bet there will be another split in the regs of Tedan Tippedai again." Fujikuro went on. "Those higher-ups that knew about the _BETA_-Zeiram Project and supported it and then those that didn't...man, this is gonna get wild probably." Kazon, still, was silent.

Fujikuro 's brow arched as he looked into the young man's averted eyes. The experienced Fujikuro could read him like a book. "You want to go after them don't you...?" Kazon shot another cold glance at him. "Yeah...you do." Fujikuro added after a brief silence. "I can tell. That brat of a kid, Kei, had that same look in her eyes last year when she wanted 'vengeance'. But let me tell you something kid, don't you go plannin' on running off without telling anyone. It won't happen..."

"...are you gonna try and stop me if I do...?" Kaz said, breaking his silence. 

Fujikuro scoffed and pushed himself away from the console and made his way to the kitchen, but before he entered, stopped and turned back to Kazon. "You don't have a clue, you know that, kid? Hell, you're lost. If there's one thing you should've learned from 4 days ago is there are something's in life that you just can't do by yourself. Fine...go ahead and take that maniac and his hat-headed bastard child on by yourself...but just remember, Iria or anyone else might not be there to save you next time." He said with a grimace on his face. "...go take a shower or something, use the one in my room."

Fujikuro turned and continued into the kitchen, leaving Kaz with a somewhat surprised look on his face. However, the young Hunter shook it off and he sat there quietly. Maybe Fujikuro was right, maybe he couldn't do this all alone. Look were ithat's gotten him now. Kazon rubbed his hand over the wound on his stomach gently...he did go nowhere fast with his blind attack last time. His anger, his hatred...and maybe, his fears, blinded his judgment, causing him to become reckless during the mission. Yes, maybe he was right, but still, Kazon wouldn't admit it.

He just simply reached over to the table and took up the mug of coffee and took a short sip...

******

A little while later, the door leading inside Iria's room slid open again and in walked Kei, carrying freshly folded sheets. The girl walked over to the bed and began replacing the ones Kazon had been sleeping on the last couple of days. Kei examined the sheet s little closer and saw a few traces of crimson stains on them, probably from Kazon's wounds.

"Poor guy..." she said softy. She looked over he shoulder and saw that Iria was still sound asleep on the floor. _"Iria...sticking her neck out for that guy, no matter how heartless and cold he was to her...it's weird really." _She continued to change the bed as quietly as she could, as not to wake the sleeping Iria. _"...She's changed a lot since a year ago..."_ Kei thought.

Just then, to Kei's surprise, Kazon walked into the room, drying his thick brown hair with a large towel, he must have just gotten out of the shower. He wore that same blue t-shirt but now with a pair of long sweat pants he must have taken from Fujikuro's room. Kei didn't notice, but under the shirt, the large regeneration bandage that was wrapped around his stomach was gone, replaced with a new one he had apply on himself after he got out of the shower. The older one on his face still remained on from before though. Kei was puzzled to why Kaz just waltzed in here, but then again, she didn't really understand him much anyway. 

So, she just smiled and spoke softly. "Glad to see that you're up...I'd tell you to stay quiet but that doesn't seem to be much of a problem for you, yanno," she added with giggle. 

Kazon moved the towel away from his head and looked over to Kei, that same icy look on his face. Kei was just finishing with the bed and she plopped down the edge of the bed letting out a soft sigh. She smiled over to Kaz, and patted her small hand on the spot beside her. Kazon hesitated at first, standing still. 

"Ah, c'mon..." Kei said in a rather optimistic and cheery tone. "If you were going to listen to one of us at least once, then do it now...!" Kazon waited a moment before letting out a soft sigh, then joining her on the bed. He sat down next to her in a very careful manner, as to not hurt himself again.

"I think it's ok for you to take that one off now," Kei said softly. Kazon looked over to the girl with a puzzled look. Kei simply smiled and reached up to his face with both hands, carefully taking off the ornate bandage that covered his left cheek. Sure enough, it was healed, but there remained a long, slender scar stretching from the edge of his cheekbone, near his nose to the side of his face and about an inch under his eye. 

"Hmm..." Kei pondered, "...it's scared over, but hey, at least it looks cool right? We may have to change the other bandage later."

"I took care of it already..." Kazon said in a quiet voice. Kazon shrugged if off, he just looked over his shoulder to Iria, her back was turned from them both now. "...she was really there the whole time?" he said in an even lower tone.

"Huh..?" Kei followed his gaze over to the sleeping Iria. "Oh! Yeah, she was...the whole time. She sat around day and night waiting to see if you were gonna wake up. That is until yesterday, her body was so pale and so exhausted that she could help but to fall asleep. I've never seen her like that before, but she nursed you back to health, and did a good job of it, it seems."

"_Someone caring for me that much...?_" Kazon thought to himself. "_She doesn't even know me_..."

"...umm...Kaz?" Kei asked after a brief silence. "I heard you and Fujikuro talking earlier. I could hear what you guys said from my room...."

Kazon glanced to her from the corner of his eye.

"I know he can be a real jerk sometimes. Just don't let it get to you..." Kei added, kicking her legs back and forth.

"_Why should I let it get to me? He's right after all_..." Kazon thought again. "_I can't do this by myself...but I have too...I don't know why...I just do._" There was another long silence as they both just sat there quietly, not saying a word. Kazon glanced over to the nightstand beside Iria's bed, at those two pictures...but mainly the one with Iria and Gren on it. Kei watched Kazon closely, and then broke the silence once again.

"That's Iria's older brother, Gren," she said. "I never got to meet him...Zeiram assimilated his body for it's own use a year ago. Iria loved him a lot and she still always talks about him..."

"..._Gren_...." Kazon thought to himself as his memories began to take over him.

******

A young teenage Kazon was standing in front of a locker in a small locker room inside the Myce Administration Headquarters, sliding his silver, alloy armor over his gloved hand and into position around his forearm. He was already decked out in the rest of his armor that covered his black, form-fitting body suit, this was the last piece that completed his get-up. Those cold, dark green eyes of his stared at a fixed point ahead of him as he adjusted the armor so that it fit properly in place. Suddenly, the door of the locker room swung open and in walked a tall, slender young man, maybe a year or two older than Kazon, with a few blue and gold hairbeads attached to locks of paleish, green hair.

"Hey man, ya heard the news...?" the young man said to Kazon. Kaz glanced over to him and shrugged a bit as he continued to fiddle around with his armor, acknowledging that he didn't know the answer to his question. The man laughed softly. "Never were much for talkin', are ya Kaz? Well, the news is that you're looking at a full-fledged Hunter!"

"...congratulations Gren," Kazon finally said in a quiet voice.

"Thanks man..." Gren said as he leaned back against a wall of lockers, letting out a relieved sigh. He smiled as he continued on. "I was gonna go out for a drink a bit later to celebrate. My friend Bob might be joining me, I don't think you've met him yet. So anyways, you wanna come, Kaz? My treat?" 

"Can't, Ouspi and I are heading out." Kaz responded as he began to load a few ammo clips onto his belt. 

"Really? Where to?"

"Some new planet they discovered outside of the Taowajan sector, on contract with Tedan Tippedai. We're supposed to survey it or something..." Kaz answered. 

Gren's brow arched slightly as a confused look took over his expression. "Shouldn't that be left for a science team to deal with?"

"Yeah..." Kazon responded, taking his pistol from his locker, "...that's what I told Ouspi. It's supposed to be some big deal 'that only professionals of our standing can handle properly'."

"Hmm..." Gren thought for a second. "If you ask me, it sounds kinda fishy. I wonder why someone like Ouspi would take a job like that...?" Gren laughed a bit, "but hey, look on the bright side, at least you'll get your license one of these days and you won't have to lis--

"Next week..." Kaz cut him off.

"'Next week'...?" Gren said, a little surprised.

"Yeah..." Kaz said as he started to load his pistol. "I'm getting my license next week on my 18th birthday..."

Gren just cracked a smile. "You're a rare find, Kaz. You're still one of the newer apprentices and you're already getting you're up for early licensing!? Unreal man..." he chuckled. "I was lucky enough to get one now."

Kazon didn't say anything else for a while and a brief silence followed until the door swung open once again. This time, the rugged Ouspi made his way inside, wearing that long black trench coat with the two Katana's strapped to his back. He had a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Both Gren and Kazon glanced over to the aging Hunter who ran his hand through his short, scruffy, black and gray hair.

"You almost ready kid...?"Ouspi said in his raspy voice, removing the cigarette from his mouth. "We've only got one Transit time booked, yanno...hmm...?" he glanced over to Gren for a moment and smiled. "Weeeeeell.....look who got his license!!" Ouspi walked over to Gren and patted him on the shoulder. "Heard all about from the guys. Congrats kid!"

"Thank you, sir..."

"Where ya headed now? Not gonna go out and have a drink to celebrate without me and Kaz, are ya?!" Ouspi added, tossing his cigarette on the hard floor and stamping it out.

Gren chuckled softly. "I'm sorry for that sir, like you said, you only have one time booked right?"

Ouspi laughed. "Ah well, maybe when I get back then, you have some time to waste with an old fart like me?"

"I'm sorry for that too, sir. Tomorrow I'm heading out for Batabitajira to see a friend of mine."

Kazon glanced over to them from the corner of his eye...

"A friend, eh?" Ouspi repeated him, flashing a sly grin. "Well, I suppose gallivanting with girls is a bit more pleasin' for a yung'un like you," he added, nudging him a little. "And on an empty planet like Batabitajira...lots of room for bunch of little 'green-heads' to be runnin' around.

Gren began to blush a little. "No, no, it's not like that! ...her parents are gone and with everyone leaving the place for Myce City, I started to kinda look after her. She acts like I'm her brother, so I try to fill-in for the role I guess. I'm going to visit her and try to bring her back here with me."

Kazon began to wonder when they were going to stop their jabbering. He placed his pistol in its holster and turn to the both of them, he was ready.

Gren glanced over to Kaz for a moment, then looked up to a clock on the wall. "Well...I better go catch up with Bob before he leaves without me."

"A'ight," Ouspi said, giving his shoulder another pat. "We need to be heading out too, eh Kaz?" Kazon just nodded in response. "Well, take care, kid and congrats again!"

"Thank you sir," Gren said with a smile and a nod. "See ya, Kaz." he began to make his way to the door before he stopped himself. "Oh! Kaz, one more thing..."

"...yeah...?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Remember..." Gren said with a smile as he flicked his hairbeads once. He laughed softly as he turned back to the door. "Don't forget, Kazon..."

******

"...Kaz...?" Kei said trying to gain the man attention. Kaz seemed to be out of it again. "Hey, earth to Kaz!" Kaz snapped out of his daze as he looked over to Kei with a blank expression. "Is something wrong?" she asked with a confused look.

"_Huh...?_" Kaz shook it off quickly. "Oh...no. It's nothing," he said as he looked back to the picture of Iria and Gren. "I was just thinking, I guess..."

Once again, there was another long pause. Kazon sat there with his gaze fixed onto those pictures. Finally, Kei changed the subject...

"What about you, Kaz?" Kei asked again. "What about your family?"

Kazon's body immediately froze as he glanced over to the young girl from the corner of his eye. "_What's with her now...?_" he thought. "_Why is everyone asking me these questions all of a sudden? Iria first, now her?_"

Kazon simply shook his head slightly and look away from her. "...that's not something I like to talk about."

"Wha--?" Kei's jumped up from the bed. "You don't like to talk about anything though! C'mon! What happened...?!"

"I told you, I'd rather not talk about it..." Kazon said, then thought to himself. "_This kid better be pipe down_..."

"But what about your mom and dad?!" Kei asked in a pleading voice. "I remember Bob told us you were raised in an orphanage...!"

"I said drop it..." Kazon said, snapping a cold gaze in the girl's direction. Kei quickly shut up and stood there in silence for a moment. She remembered Bob telling the group not to push his buttons, so she did what Kazon told here to do and kept quiet...Kazon just went back to staring at that picture, trying to sort a few things out. 

"Sorry for bringing that up, yanno...? It's just I know what it's like to be alone..." Kei paced around a bit before she glanced over to Iria again. "I think you remind her of him a lot..." Kei continued on, gaining Kaz's attention once again, "...of Gren, I mean. I think that's why she likes you so much...."

__

"Huh...?!" Kazon's brow arched slightly. _"..'likes me'...?!"_

Kei saw this clueless expression on his face and couldn't help but to giggle a little. "Ah, well, I got some stuff I need to fix on the Kreeper. Bob sent me out a few days ago and brought back a few things from you house that you might need later. like armor and such."

"How did you find out were I lived...?"

Kei grinned and winked at him, "Bob's a pretty resourceful little guy, yanno." She waved to him, turned to the door and started to leave, but she turned around and looked back to him. "Oh, and Kaz...? Umm...I know you want to pay Zeiram and that Kross guy back for what they did, so I understand if you want to leave and all....but please, at least tell Iria first...? Promise me...'k?"

Kazon slowly looked away from the girl and over his shoulder to Iria... then nodded slightly. Kei kept an eye on him for a few seconds before turning back towards the door as it slid open and quietly exited...

"You don't know how much they've done to me, kid..." he said softly, watching Iria closely, still wondering why someone would take the time as she did to take care of him.

Kazon turned around again and his eyes fell to the floor. He sat there and ran a hand through his still damp hair for a moment contemplating everything that has happened. All this information coming and returning to him in such a short amount of time, all of his thoughts jumbled into one huge mass of confusion....and maybe he was changing as well. He didn't notice it at the time, but he just opened up to Kei, even if it wasn't all that much. Kazon shook his head slowly as he stood up from the bed slowly, grabbing the towel he had brought with him and made his way to the door. 

...but little did the Hunter know that Iria, whom he thought was sound asleep behind him with her back turned to him, wasn't asleep at all. She lay still on the carpet floor and with her eyes wide open, as if she had been awake for a while. As she heard Kazon leave the room, she sat up straight, and looked over to the door. She had heard nearly all of Kei and Kazon's conversation, but she remained silent the whole time so that they wouldn't find her out. She glanced over to the old picture of her and Gren beside her bed and began to speak softly...

__

"...I'm sure I can find out...Kazon..."

*****

__

"So far, there have been no reports of anyone seeing Tedan Tippedai President Puttubayh, nor the Vice-president Kross Tsutomegi," a male reporter on the television said solemnly. Fujikuro, Bob, and Kei watched on. It was around mid-day now. "_However, all leads seem to point out the Bachnia Center, a top secret science facility located outside of Myce City and is owned and operated by the Tedan Tippedai Corporation..._"

"Not very top-secret anymore, now is it?" Kei added her own bit of info into the report.

__

"...Administration and Gounbak have tried to contact the center for the past 3 days now, but as received no response. Satalite surveillance shows signs of an unworldly growth engulfing the building exterior, as well as an increased number of Zeiramoid creatures roaming the secluded area around it. The image strikingly resembles that of the Tanjenkanbaran Construction Site in which the interplanetary being known as 'Zeiram' took over one year ago. Although no contact has been made with the troop squadrons and science teams from inside, Puttubayh, the Vice-president, and a new Zeiram-like creature have been rumored to be inside. Administration may be planning a type of 'invasion' of the Bachnia Center, and could very well begin mobilizing its troops and sending them into the building to see what exactly is causing this--"

Fujikuro had heard enough. "Those guys have no idea what they're getting themselves into...you'd think they would've learned the first time..!"

"Zeiram is assimilating them..." Bob said in a soft voice as his AI image spun around on its screen. "...the scientist that were already in the building that is..."

"Huh?" Kei's brow arched slightly. "What do you mean? The clone can do that too?"

"Think about it," Bob went on, "the original Zeiram Unit had to assimilate victims in order to survive, and those victims become the naturally created Zeiramoids. Why should the _BETA_ Unit be any different? It would also explain why the Zeiramoid numbers are increasing and why no contact has been made with the center."

"Tch, yeah...I guess Zeiramoids don't know how to pick up a phone," Fujikuro added, then he had a quizative look on his face. "Hey, Bob...you think it's very safe for a clone to be making clones? What if something in the whole genetic crap of the new Zeiram is missing or...or...well, you know--?!" Fujikuro wasn't much of a scientist so it seemed...

"Who knows..." Bob answered. "All we know is that Kross said _BETA_ was stronger than the original Zeiram...."

"But what if there was a flaw in its production...?" asked an approaching Iria, emerging from her bedroom and gaining everyone's attention. She was still wearing her pajamas. "What if a part of it was missing? Then it might be a weak point. Dr. Touka told me that you couldn't clone something that's already dead right? Maybe they did find a way to clone a copy from a dead Zeiram, but then again, maybe something could have been left out because of it?"

"That could very well be the case," Bob continued, "but like Dr. Touka also told you, it's dangerous to assume anything, at least not right now. We'll come up with something, just give it some time...."

Iria and the others simply nodded and the group fell silent. Iria looked around for a moment then looked over to Bob's screen. 

"Bob, where is Hunter Locke...?" she asked.

"The last time I saw him, he was outside messing around with those two swords of his..." Fujikuro butted in. "He didn't say anything before hand either, he just walked out. The guy gives me the creeps..." 

"Iria..." Bob with a sigh, "...if you're planning on doing what I think you're going to do..." he stopped himself. "Just leave him be for now..." 

"Sorry Bob, but there is just a few things that I want to know and I want to hear it straight from him..."

"_Persistent, ain't she....?_" Fujikuro whispered to Kei silently. Kei looked at him and nodded slightly.

"And besides, he's supposed to tell me when he leaves before hand..." she turned to Kei with her hands on her hip, flashing a sly grin. "Isn't that right, Kei...?"

****

"Eeep!!" Kei yelped in surprise, "Y-y-y-you heard that...?!"

Iria laughed softly as she walked by the girl on her way to the elevator that was in the room. Iria patted Kei on the head. "Don't sweat it kid." She turned around once she was in the elevator and pressed a button. "I'll be right back guys." Then the elevator began to hum and she descended out of view. 

Fujikuro glanced over to Kei with his arms crossed and with a stern look on his face. Kei just chuckled nervously and shrugged...

*********************

**__**

Author's Notes: 

Cliffhanger-esqe, but this thing was getting a wee bit long so I decided to cut it off at a point. Besides, the next couple of scene will be worth the wait anyways! As for this episode....I don't really like they way parts of it turned out. The scene with Kaz, Ouspi, and Gren, however, was very fun for me to write. (Just because Gren kicks ass....). Also, I kinda like the way I've made Kaz open up a little bit more in this episode. It helps bridge the gap between the cold, hard Kazon and the Kazon that you're gonna see in the next episode...heh heh. Read on to find out what happens next!

**__**

NEXT TIME!!:

Iria meets up with Kazon outside under the burning sun, looking for answers. Kazon is reluctant as usual, but can Iria bring out a new side of Kaz that has yet to be seen? Find out in the next episode of **_IRIA: TSoS _Episode 9: _'The Soul of Silence'_**! (Hey, with an episode bearing the same name as the title, it **_HAS_** to be good, right? LoL)


	10. Soul of Silence

****

"_IRIA: The Soul of Silence_"  
An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!  
  
  
  
**_Episode 9: "THE SOUL OF SILENCE"_**

It was a rather warm day on Myce; the midday sun shining brightly upon Iria's home, but every now and then a gentle breeze would blow across the land, cooling this hot scene down. The skies were sprinkled lightly with puffy clouds here and there, floating back and forth in front of the sun's view. It was an over all nice day, however...

...the stillness was broken as Iria carefully walked around one corner of her house, her eyes slowly scanning the area. The baggy pants and sleeves of her pajama outfit blew and lapped in the slight breeze as she continued to scale the perimeter of her home. She told Bob that she was going out to look for Kazon, and she was doing just that, but he was nowhere in sight. However, finally she heard a loud grunting sound from around the next corner, her body immediately snapping back and hugged the wall. She crept over and peeked around the corner.

...there was a large regeneration bandage and a blue t-shirt laying on dusty ground and a few feet from it, an empty sheath of a katana. There was also another katana stashed away, still intact in its sheath, that was propped up against the hull of Kazon's gray, one-seater Kreeper. Iria looked past the vehicle and was forced to squint a bit as brightness of the sun intensified. As her vision adjusted she saw the silhouette of a familiar figure...

It was Kazon, standing in an offensive position with one of his katanas at hand. His lower body was decked out in his usual silverish, metallic alloy armor over his black body suit while it only came up to his waist. He wore nothing above his belt except his pair of black gloves, which were designed to give the best grip possible, especially for a sword. Iria slowly moved in closer to get a better look at what the Hunter was doing.

Kazon brought the katana over his head and then swung the blade downwards, shifting his body and leaping into an air with a roundhouse kick of sorts. As Iria watched him go into a series of cuts with his sword, she came to the obvious conclusion that he was practicing....or, with the huge circular scar that he now had in his midsection, rather testing his own, new limits. Kazon let out a loud cry as he swung down one last time, so far that the blade dug into the ground. His teeth were grinding together and he was breathing rather heavily, beads of sweat rolling down his face. He was trying to find a way for him to block out the pain of the wound, while still performing his actions the best he could. From the looks of it, he had been pushing himself a bit hard before Iria made it outside...too hard. Iria took one deep breath before finally stepping out from her hiding place...

"You sure seem to be doing better..." she said, Kazon quickly snapping to attention and looking in her direction. Iria stalked even closer. "How ya feeling...?"

Kazon slowly looked away and hesitated before answering anything, keeping his fixed position. "I'm fine..." and then said nothing else.

Iria stopped where she was and placed her hands on her hips and grinned in a teasing manner. "What? 'I'm fine'...? Is that all you can say to the person that saved your life? Don't I even get a 'thank you'...?"

"..._whatever_..." He thought, standing up straight, looking back over to her. "What do you want...?"

"Pushy..." she responded with a grin, she had pretty much come to expect such quirks from him. She glanced over to the sword propped against the sleek, gray Kreeper before looking back into the young man's eyes. "Forgive a girl for caring and interfering with your personal quiet time..."

"_Tch_..." Kazon thought...remaining quiet as he finally stood up straight. There was a long and awkward silence that followed.

Iria thought for a moment, keeping her eyes closely on Kazon. Then she flashed a subtle grin as she got an idea. "_It might push the wrong buttons_," she thought, "_but it's worth a shot_..."

Kazon's brow arched slightly as he watched Iria kick off her sandals and move over to Kazon's Kreeper. When she got there, she grabbed the katana Kazon had left propped against the hull. A shocked expression came over the young Hunter's face.

"What are you doing...?!" He asked her, his tone rising a great deal.

"Hmm..." Iria grinned, playing around with him for the time being. She acted as if she was examining the sheath of the sword. "Oh, nothing..."

"Put it down...!" Kazon commanded.

"I'm just lookin', yanno," Iria flashed an innocent smile towards him as she yanked the sword from the sheath. "It's not all that big of a deal." But it appearetly was to Kazon. His teeth began to grind together, his grip tightening on the sword in his own hands. It would seem, to Iria, that there was a deeper meaning to Kazon's weapons than what she had originally thought.

"I said put it down!" Kazon yelled again, more urgent than before.

Iria began to nonchalantly make her way closer to him, tossing the sheath aside in the process. "You seem so serious when it comes to these silly things. But hey, look on the bright side! At least I'm getting something out of you..." she giggled softly. "Your anger is kinda cute actually..."

"_What's she talking about...?! Just drop the damn sword!_" Kazon thought to himself.

"Tell you what, Kaz," Iria said as she stopped a few feet in front him, "how about you tell me everything I want to know in exchange for this '_precious_' sword of yours...?"

"_Childish...I don't know if it's a compromise or blackmail_..." he thought, then spoke aloud in an agitated, yet a softer tone than before. "How about I just take it from you...?"

Iria chuckled softly. "You'd have to catch me first..." She grinned to herself, knowing her little setup she had planned was working to perfection.

Kazon's eyes narrowed and darkened. "Trust me...that wouldn't be too hard..." 

"Really? You sound so sure of yourself." Iria said grinning, extending the katana towards him and pressing tip of the blade right under his chin. "...care to press your luck, Kaz?"

Kazon lifted his head a little to escape the soft pressure of the blade, but kept a straight face and kept his eyes locked on hers. He was starting to figure out where this little game of hers was leading to...

"C'mon, Kazon..." Iria said, "...no holding back. You win, you get your little sword back and I'll leave you alone. If I win, you tell me all I want to know," she smiled coyly. "You never did seem like the kind of guy that would back down from a fight, am I right...? Let's see how really good you are." She was playing her little game all right, but she did mean what she had just said.

Kazon remain quiet, his eyes trained on hers. His gloved hand began to grip the scabbard of the katana tightly. They just stared at each other as a gust of wind came and brushed through the area. Kazon thought about the bullet wound he had received...this 'spar' that she had proposed would have him at a major disadvantage. As those deep green eyes dove into Iria's brownish orbs, Kazon came to one final conclusion....

...and in the flash of an eye, Kazon lifted his sword quickly swatted Iria's away from his face, accepting her challenge. However, before Iria could congratulate herself for making him give in, Kaz was already on the attack. He twirled the katana in a circular motion in his gloved, right hand before taking it in both hands and slashing downward towards her. Iria, quick on her feet, sidestepped the attack and then swung her sword right towards Kazon's lower back. Kazon pivoted, turning and dodging just as blade was inches from his flesh, and then pouncing backwards away from her, landing in a posed position and ready to strike.

Iria grinned a little as she settled her self into a position of her own. "I thought I told you not to hold back..."

"...what about you?" Kazon responded. 

Iria laughed softly to herself, "...maybe I did just a little...but we're just getting started." Then after a brief pause, both Iria and Kaz charged each other again. Iria held her sword to her side with the point of the blade aiming right at Kaz. Kazon's eyes narrowed as he, to Iria's surprise, blatantly tossed his katana straight into the air and twirled out of the way before Iria could even touch him. Iria stopped dead in her tracks and looked around with a dumbfounded look on her face. 

"Wha--?!" She gave a quick glance around. "Where'd he--!?" She then looked up and saw that the sword Kazon had thrown in the air was coming down right over her head. She jumped back slightly as if to dodge it, but when she did, she jumped backright into the grasp of a muscular arm that grabbed and hooked on to Iria's left arm. It grasped so tightly that Iria let out a yelp in surprise and ended up dropping her sword. Then Iria caught a glance of another gloved hand reach out over her right shoulder, opposite to her entrapped arm, and it caught the katana that was falling from the sky with the blade in a fixed position, held right in front of Iria's throat.

Iria couldn't help but to grin a little, despite her currently tangled situation. "Nice one, Kaz...Ouspi teach you that one?"

Kazon's grip on her arm tightened a little more, Iria letting out a soft grunt. "What do you know about him....? Answer me...!"

"Bob told us..." Iria went on. "You were his apprentice, right. We know more about you than you may think..."

Kazon leaned his head closer; his tone still rather agitated. "I'd think by now you'd get the point! If you know so much then why the hell are you still trying to butt into my business when it's obvious I don't want you or anyone else in it....?! "

Iria laughed softly as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face,"...no clue..." she was manipulating him perfectly. He was opening up, bursting with emotion right then and there. "Besides, I'm the one that's supposed to be asking the questions...!"

Then she gave him a swift elbow to the gut, around the area were Kazon's scar was. Kazon froze immediately as the breath was knocked out of him and his grip around her loosed, giving Iria a chance to break free. She ducked under his grasp and then swiftly shifted her body and swept Kazon's legs out from under him with one of her own, send Kazon in the air for a moment before falling flat on his back and kicking up a cloud of dust. Hitting a guy were he was previously hurt, it was a low trick...but, hey, there was no holding back. Iria remained in a crouched position as she reached over and grabbed her sword, starting to breath a little heavier and she lift an arm to quickly swipe away some sweat from her brow.

Kazon lay on the ground with his eyes closed, cringing in pain from the blow that was so close to his bullet wound. As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw the tip of a blade pointed right between his eyes and Iria standing above him, with cocky grin on her face and her other hand on her hip, looking down on him.

"...but I guess I'm just curious," she said with a smirk, finishing her earlier sentence. She tilted her head to the side a bit. It was all working according to her plan and she knew it. Even though he hadn't realized it yet, Kazon was slowly opening up. He was at least showing some emotion, like this frustration that was in his eyes from her constant nagging, rather than that blank stare he usually dealt out. 

"You're pretty good, Kaz," Iria went on. "but you're not gonna be able to beat me in your condition. So, if you can't beat little ol' Iria, what makes you think you can go off on your own and take on Zeiram, huh?"

Kazon's voice still had a hint of pain in it. "You're just gonna lecture me now...? Tying to teach me a lesson or something...?"

"I suppose so. I might as well while I'm at it, right?" Iria shrugged and grinned. "Well, sometimes you just have to swallow your pride, eh? For instance," she moved the blade down under his chin, teasingly pressed the blade upwards and lifting his head slightly, "now, you have to give in and accept defeat from me. I'd hate to have to give another one of those on your other cheek, you know..." she said while motioning to the scar he had received four days before on his left cheek.

Kazon's brow arched slightly, the pain finally subsiding a bit. "Is that so...?"

He then, in the blink of an eye, Kaz moved his face out of the way as he kicked one foot in the air, right at the hand holding Iria's sword. The eventual impact knocked it out of her hand sent it flying in the direction of the house, landing a few feet away from the wall. She watched in surprise as it flew throught the airaway from her, and before Iria could regroup, Kazon had tripped her up the same way she had done him, sweeping her legs out from under her. Iria didn't even have time to think before Kazon had flipped up from the ground and onto his feet, and aimed his blade in the same position as she had, right in her face.

Iria's dark, brown eyes gazed up to Kazon and she saw that she was in the exact same position he was in just seconds ago. She couldn't help but to smile as she sighed softly. "You amaze me sometimes..." Kazon just kept her pinned down for a moment, not moving an inch and continually staring down on her coldly.

"_This is pointless_..." he thought. "_I'm not going to give in, she won't shut up...so I'm ending this now_..." He moved the blade away from her face and turned away from her, walking slowly towards the house. 

Iria pushed her upper body up, propping herself back on her arms, "Wha--? Where are you going...?!"

He bent over and picked up one of the sheathes and slid the curved blade into it, not saying a word. Iria watched him as he walked over and also took the sword she had been using and sheathed it as well, holding them both under his left arm, leaving the other gloved hand to carefully grasp the aching scar across his abdomen.

"What the--!? What are you doing?!" Iria shouted furiously. "This isn't over yet! I never said I'd given up! Hell, I was about to beat you...!!"

"No you weren't..." Kazon called back to her in a very nonchalant fashion but loud enough for her to hear him, not even glancing back to her. He just continued to make his way around the house and over to the elevator...

Iria snarled at him as she made a fist and punched the dusty ground under her. "You **jerk**..!!!"

...a few floors above all the action, Fujikuro and Kei were watch the events unfold through the large window in the living room, clueless expression on their faces. Finally, eventually, they looked at each other and shrugged in confusion.

"So whaddya think...?" Kei asked. 

"I dunno, kid..." Fujikuro said as he scratched his chin while he pondered on a few things. "If you ask me, I think she either has some kinda plan or she's just plain nuts..."

"Yeah...well..." Kei thought for a moment. "Hey! I got it! If she does have a plan, why don't we make one too...!?" she said, drawing a weird look from Fujikuro.

"What do you mean by that?" Bob asked curiously.

"C'mon!" Kei said excitedly. "I'll fill ya in...!"

******

The sun began to slowly set as night approached. Kazon had bathed again and changed into his full black, form-fitting bodysuit, his legs incased with it's usual armaments. He didn't have any gloves or any armor whatsoever above his waist. He just had the sleeves rolled up to his biceps and his Hunter's necklace stung around his neck. For a guy as 'serious' as Kazon, it would assume that this form of attire was 'casual'.

He had changed before the troop had eaten dinner a few minutes earlier. He didn't eat much however...just a bowl of rice and a two glasses of water. Fujikuro even decided to poke fun at his eating habits a few times, but usually was on the receiving end of an elbow to the side or a stomp on the foot from Iria. Nevertheless, he kept his cold exterior up the entire time and didn't say one word at the table.

Now, he was sitting in a slouched fashion on the living room alone watching the news reports on the television about the Bachnia Center's current activities. That's all he could do, was watch and wait...no matter how much he didn't want to believe it, Iria and Fujikuro were right. He was in no condition to fight no matter how he longed to...and with the thought that maybe, just maybe, Kross Tsutomegi was responsible for the death of his instructor only amplified this urge for a fight.

But while he was sitting there, staring idly at the screen, he began to think of what Fujikuro had said to him earlier that day. Perhaps...he did indeed owe something to Iria, for saving his life and giving him a place to stay for a while. However, he still had something that was holding him back....he just couldn't trust anyone.

Suddenly, the door to her room slid open, and Iria walked out into the living room, towel-drying her reddish-brown hair. She was wearing a similar, blue and white pajama outfit that she had worn before, although this one was freshly clean, as opposed to the one she had dirtied during her 'sparring sessions' with Kaz earlier. She glanced over to Kazon from the corner of her eye as she walked over to get bet look at the television. On it, were two people, both older men, one a Tedan Tippedai executive advisor and the other from Gounbak Security, arguing over whether or not armed soldiers should be sent into the Bachnia Center...

Iria scoffed and shook her head as she glanced over to Kazon, who hadn't made a peep or even looked away from the television since she had walked in. She stood there for a few seconds before making her second bold move of the day: She walked over to the couch and plopped down right beside the silent Hunter. Sure enough, it got his attention. Those chilling eyes of his glanced over to her, but she just shrugged it off and acted normally.

"Where is everyone...?" Iria asked casually.

Kazon slowly looked away, back to the television before responding. "Fujikuro and Kei said they had to leave suddenly..."

"Did they say why...?"

"No..."

Iria glanced over to the computer screen, not seeing it's usual twirling AI image. "What about Bob? What's he up to?"

"...he said he had a few things to take care of and logged off." Kazon responded quietly.

"Oh..." There was a long silence that followed. Iria kept her eyes on the young man while watched the television with the most uncertain look on her face. They were alone, probably the best way for them to be so that Iria could maybe get information out of him, but she didn't think she had the guts to confront him about it twice in the same day.

Finally, she worked up the nerve and she positioned herself on the couch to where she faced Kaz. "...can I ask you something?"

"_What now...?_" Kazon thought as he let out a soft sigh. He kept his gaze forward as he spoke aloud. "You know, you didn't win out there..."

"So...?" Iria responded, her eyes casting a downward stare. "That's just your opinion...all I'm trying to do is just learn a little bit more about you, get a better understanding of you. It's called a 'friendly conversation', Kaz. It's what two people do when they're alone with nothing else do..."

"Tch...whatever...go find something to do then..." he muttered under his breath as he picked up the remote to the television and switched it off. He tossed the remote back onto the coffee table before he pushed himself up from the couch and began to walk towards the door without another word. All the while Iria's face turned red with frustration, that same look she gave him when they first met. She had had it with this attitude of his.

"Look here, Mr. Personality...." she said in a stern voice, thrusting herself up from the couch. "I've had enough of this, and _you_!" Kazon immediately stopped keeping his back turned to her. 

Iria took a deep breath before continuing. "We have done nothing to you. Nothing to piss you off and have nothing **but** help you. Fujikuro, Kei..._me_...we're all just trying to figure out something about you so we can understand you better. And that one thing we want to know is why you are the way you are; this cold, bitter asshole that won't listen to anyone other than himself....but no, that's too much for you now isn't it?!" Her eyes narrowed as she continued on. "So what if you've got problems, we all do, but you're just a coward that's running away from them...!"

Kazon's eyes narrowed slightly, but kept them looking forward. He wanted her to shut up, but there was no way of that happening...but she was right. Those words ran through his head again...

__

"Run away....it's what you're good at..." 

His silence was unnerving to Iria as he fist clenched together. "Tell me what happened, now! Four years ago, ten years ago, five minutes ago...it doesn't matter! Tell me what makes you this horrible person...! Forget about others! **_I _**want to know the side of you that you're keeping from everyone!" Kazon said nothing in return to Iria's pleading. He just stood there with his back turned, motionless. 

Iria let out the most agitated sigh as she gave up altogether. "You know what? You really are a jerk...if you can't do the slightest thing as to open up to somebody, then you're not worth it. Bob was wrong about you. Sure, you're a great Hunter...but you're a low-level person, Kazon..." She turned to make her way to the kitchen, her eyes narrowed and her teeth grinding together, literally fuming. She can't believe what she had just said, but, while it was a bit harsh, she felt it need to be said. However, as she turned to corner, something snapped suddenly in Kazon's mind and his soft voice called her back...

"...Ouspi and I were assigned to a remote, dark planet outside of the Taowajan System..." he said quietly and abruptly, drawing a wide-eyed Iria back into the living room, surprised by this sudden, radical change. "The contract was straight from Tedan Tippedai, so Ouspi thought we could trust them. I was still an apprentice up for early licensing at the time, but while we were there, the original Zeiram attacked me while we were separated. I tried to fight it, but I ended up out cold. The rain finally woke me up the next morning...and I found Ouspi lying face down in the mud...dead..."

Iria slowly began to make her way closer to him, this shift in his attitude might have been sudden, but she was going to take full advantage of it nonetheless. "H-how'd he die...Zeiram...?"

"No..." Kazon said, his eyes closing tightly, remembering the painful memories, "he was shot...twice, but not by Zeiram."

"Then who...?"

There was a long pause before Kazon responded as visions of that dream he had replayed through his mind. "...._Kross_...."

Iria's eyes widened as she gasped softly. "The Vice-president?! Are you sure...!?"

Kazon solemnly shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure, but it's a good possibility....but ever since then, on that rainy day...I've lost all trust in everyone. I thought we could trust Tedan Tippedai, but now I know that we were just pawns in the opening stages of the Zeiram Project...and pawns in life. Nothing means anything to me anymore because I've grown to trust no one..."

"Is that why you shut yourself out from everyone...? Just a lack of trust?" Iria asked, only a few feet behind him. Kazon only nodded in return. "Oh...but is that all? Don't get me wrong...but just one thing like that, I'd understand your untrusting ways, but you should still be able to be social able, yanno? There has to be something else that you're not telling me....what about your parents? Bob said that you're father was 'missing'..."

"'Missing'...?" Kazon scoffed in disgust, "if that's what you want to call it...it's too long of a story."

Iria came even closer and reach around the front his body, taking one of his hands gently and reassuringly, "Well...I have the time. Please tell me Kaz..." Kazon's cold green eyes glanced down to his hand, which was embraced by hers, then he looked over his shoulder to her, turning slightly to face her. Iria looked him square in the face, seeing this soft, yet pained expression in his eyes, like he was still unsure of the situation. Iria smiled to herself and also to him as well...Kazon was showing emotion, emotion speaking itself through his eyes. Her eyes even told a different story to Kazon when gazed into them, it was if they had this soothing effect on him, a kind of reassurance...

"It might not mean much to you..." Iria said quietly, "but you _can_ trust me..." Without another word she gently tugged on his arm and pulled him back to the couch. She sat down first, while Kazon hesitated at first, but also sat down while Iria spoke again. "Now, what happened to you?"

Kazon took a deep breath before going on with his story. "...My mother died when I was very young, nearly immediately after I was born. I never even knew her name. As for my father, Bob was right in a sense, but not in the sense of what you might be taking it. My father wasn't the world's greatest man...in fact, he was a low-life. He blamed me for the death of his wife and, for the most part, took out that physical aggression on me....so he wasn't much to look up too. Finally, I guess he finally broke, and decided that I wasn't his 'obligation' anymore. I was still young, I had no idea of what was going on...but he left me...."

"From the sounds of the guy, it as if it would be a blessing..." Iria said quietly.

"Far from it..." Kaz went on. "I roamed the streets for what seemed like the longest time until I was finally picked up by the orphanage, and that's all I was at the time...a dirty little orphan with no place to call home. I hated it there...but I stayed there for a few years...then I met--" he stopped himself for a moment. "...'someone' who introduced me to Ouspi...who took me in as his apprentice."

"'Someone...?" Iria's brow arched slightly while her lips curled into a small smirk. "It was my brother wasn't it...?"

Kazon glanced over to her from the corner of his eye. "How'd you know...?"

"Because you're a terrible liar..."

Kazon looked away from her again. "In any case...after the incident four years ago, I was blacklisted and I haven't been back here on Myce since then until lately. Tedan Tippedai acted as if the whole thing never happened..."

"Trust me, I know what it's like..." she said, remembering the events of the Karma scandal just one year ago. "But.. that still doesn't answer my question. All this you're telling me doesn't completely answer as to why you don't trust people, which is what I really want to know. It seems like you're trying to avoid answering it, or you're leaving something out--..."

He cut her off as he snapped that icy stare of his right in her direction... "You have no idea what it's like...!"

"Wha--?!" Iria gasped again at yet another sudden change. Kazon was like a loose cannon it seemed...

"You don't know what's like to live from day to day wandering the streets with nowhere to go and the people around you won't even look twice at you!" Kazon said in a rather furious tone, as if talking about it all seemed to anger him even more. "You don't know what it's like to have to sit there and take a beating from the only person that you have to look up to, then watch him walk away in the end as if you were nothing to him!" Iria watched on in suppressed fear as he stood up from the couch and looked down to her with his eyes narrowed, but she still tried to keep a straight face.

"You want to know why I'm like this?!" Kazon yelled, "What I hate more than anything else in the world is my own past. I trust no one because I know I'll get screwed in the end! I push myself away from you and everyone else because things like 'friendship' and 'loyalty' mean nothing to me anymore." Iria just looked him in the eye...but was then startled to see a few droplets of clear liquid slowly roll down his cheek...she looked into his eyes and then realized it: it was his tears...and she was speechless at the sight of them. He turned and made his way over to the console of the supercomputer.

"Everything was taken from me! Ouspi, my parents, everything!" He was beginning to lose it, those few tears had turned into streams. His voice even began to grow shaky. "Now look at me! I'm nothing more than a lost soul hell-bent on revenge for everything that has gone on in my past....and once I thought I could run from it, once I thought I was away from it all for good, my past comes back to haunt me!" Iria knew that he was referring to Zeiram and Kross... 

Kazon turned to look Iria right in the eyes from across the room "And now, I'm **nothing**...! I don't want to share my past and thoughts with anyone, I just want to forget about them myself!" and as a way to accent the 'myself', one of his clenched fist quickly snapped back and slammed into one of the control panels, causing a startled Iria to jump a little.

...by now, he had lost it. He stood there with his fist pressed against the console, trying to fight back the tears. But he couldn't help but to give in, and be began to weep fully. His knees bagan to buckle, causing the young Hunter to sink down to the ground. He just sat there weeping on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest and he kept his face buried in his arms, hidden from Iria's view. Twenty-one years of pain and frustration...coming to a stiff boil.

Iria watched him with a saddened look in her eyes, she slowly stood up and carefully made her way over to his spot on the floor. She lowered herself down beside him, sitting in nearly the same position as he was, but afraid to do anything else....that he might react the wrong way. She just sat there watching him closely, worried, yet strangely relieved. In a matter of minutes, he went from the anti-social, duty-bearing Hunter that he was to this newer, emotional and passionate person that he chose to hide. She took every one of his words that he had just told her to heart, thinking, no...'knowing' that for him to tell her such things, he had to have trusted her, even if only a litte bit. It...just meant a lot to her for some reason...

"...there have been times in my life when I've searched for meaning. The meaning of why I do what I do...the meaning of the paths I've chosen...even the meaning of my own existence..." Kazon finally said, his face still hidden. "But...every time...in the end, there's nothing for me to look back on or to look forward too. Only a nightmarish past that haunts my very soul every second of the day...and an even more hellish future that I've yet to see...that I'm afraid to see. In the end....there is nothing. Nothing but an insatiable rage that I can't make myself show anyone, that I keep locked up inside, that pulls at my soul. It's a lack of self control that confuses what is real..." As she listened to his words, Iria's own tears began to gently roll down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what she was hearing... 

"Kaz..." She said finally in a soft voice to gain his attention as she moved in closer to him, her body nearly touching his. She slowly lifted one hand to the side of his head, lifting up gently as if trying to uncover his face from it's hidden position...to where she could see it. He let her do as she pleased, and went along with it as she tilted his head to where she could see his saddened, almost puppy dog-like eyes. His eyes told her that it was as if he really was lost in the world, and with even more tears swelling up in them, threatening to pour over as the others before them did...

"I **do** know what it's like to lose someone you love..." she said very quietly, almost in a whisper, as another tear creeping down her own cheek. She gently wiped his tears away from his tanned skin as she leaned in even closer to him inches from his face. "...but you **do** have someone to help you through it..."

Without even thinking, Iria's eyes closely as she pressed her lips to his very gently. Almost instinctively, Kazon closed his eyes as well and tilted his head slightly to the side, even if he was blushing slightly. 

This only lasted for a few moments, as they both slowly parted from the kiss moments later. Iria and Kazon both opened their eyes, gazing right at each other.

******

Outside, hovering next to the large window and obviously out of the two's view, Fujikuro sat at the helm of his Dempadan with a sly grin on his face. Kei was looking over his shoulder, beaming and giggling.

Fujikuro patted the girl on the top of her head in a teasing manner, as Kei looked at him with a grin of her own. Fujikuro winked and signaled that it was time for them to break in on them, just as they had planned...

Kei nodded and Fujikuro took the controls, lowering the umbrella-like flying machine as quietly as possible.

******

Iria saw this redness of his cheeks and couldn't help but to giggle softly as she wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. Kazon...still... stared, although he did have a different look on his face, more of a confused, dumbfounded look. 

"Umm..." Iria said as she averting her eyes, trying to find the right words afterwards, her hands falling in her lap. But neither of them said anything, they just sat there in silence....that is, until they both heard an unseal rustling from the bottom of the elevator. They turned back and looked at it as they heard the sounds of voices yelling at each other...

__

"Me first brat!"

****

"No way...!"

The elevator lifted the arguing Fujikuro and Kei into the living room. The two broke from their screaming and glanced over to the pair sitting on the floor and the both immediately froze with these huge, goofy grins on their faces.

"Where have you two been...?" Iria asked, a little happy that they showed when they did, to break the tension of the moment, but she was also saddened that the moment was cut short...

"Umm..." Fujikuro mumbled as he looked over to Kei with a nervous look on his face.

Meanwhile Kazon lowered his gaze and then quietly and quickly snuck away into Fujikuro's room, which he was let to use freely as his own, despite Bob having to agrue with Fujikuro himself over it, alone. His hand was rubbing away the drying tears from his face with his hand.

"We were just out testing a few new parts on the Dempadan...."Kei waved it off like it was no big deal.

"We were...?" Fujikuro asked, looking to Iria, before looking back to Kei. "OH! Yeah! We were! We were testing the new...anti-gravity... propulsion...err--thingy-mah-jigger...!" 

Kei's hand smacked her own face and let out a sigh, "_You're hopeless_..."

Iria smiled a little as she watched their antics, "Oh, well me and--" she stopped herself as she began to motion towards Kazon...but he wasn't to where to be found. She looked around a bit. "Wha--...? Where he go...?!"

Fujikuro muttered under his breath to where Iria couldn't hear him, _"...after that lip-lock you put on him, I'm surprised he even--" _but he was sharply cut off as Kei gave his foot one good stomp to shut him up.

Iria's gaze dropped down to the floor with a somewhat distraught look upon her face, wondering if...maybe that wasn't the right thing to do. Fujikuro's brow arched slightly as she saw this expression she displayed...

"_She really does have something on this guy_...." he thought to himself. 

The room fell into an unsettling silence...times were changing...

*****

"Any new reports on the situation...?!" A commander said, wearing a uniform of Gounbak officer and barking a few orders into his radio transceiver. "Repeat: Bachnia ground troops, are there any new reports on the situation?!"

The commander was standing behind a makeshift bunker, made up of sand-bags and Kajakunban leaves with his radio at hand, a few troops were stationed around him, a few surrounding a large automatic, machine gun-like weapon while others stood with binoculars, gazing across the open land before them. At the field's end, stood the Bachnia Center, teeming with new life created by the _BETA_-Zeiram Unit that surrounded the exterior...

"_Negative, HQ_..." a staticy voice called back over the radio from within the center. "_The halls of floors 1-3 are empty with no sign of any hostiles_..."

One young soldier looked over the commander with a blank expression. "Do you really think this is a good idea, sir? Administration sending those soldiers in without even knowing what's in there?"

"That's exactly _why_ they're going in there," the commander responded. "With the split in Tedan Tippedai imminent, this is Administration's last option. It may not be the best of ideas, but the only way we can figure out what's going on in there..."

"Sir..." the soldier nodded, if not a bit distrait in his tone.

The commander spoke into this radio once again. "Squads 3 and 4, send reports back immediately following your investigation of the basement floors. Squads 1 and 2, R.T.B. _(Return To Base) _once you've checked the top levels of the building."

"_Yes sir_," the staticy voice called back. "_Will report back as soon as--_" suddenly, as loud banging sound was heard in the background. "_Huh?! What the--?! **Holy**--_" the frequency was then cut into a static daze.

"Squad 1?!" the commander shouted. "Squad 1, respond! What happened!"

Another transfer came in from a different frequency, gunfire could be heard in the background now, along with a haunting shrieking noise from many sources. "_HQ, this is Squad 2! Squad 1 is taking fire! Repeat: Hostiles sighted, Zeiramoid-like creatures are in the building!!_" there was a brief silence. "_I don't believe it... **its** with them!!_" 

"What?!" the commander yelled again.

"_It's Zei--!!_" but the soldier cut away quickly and over the radio...the only thing was heard was a lone soldier, yelling _'it's coming for us_', amidst the gunfire and screaming, in such a fearful, terrible tone...then this frequency too was cut into static.

The bewildered troops slowly shifted their gazes to the commander who lowered his radio from his face, dropping it on the ground once it reached his side. There was a long and eerie silence as he looked on the hellish building. before he spoke softly...

"Not this...not again..."

***********************

**__**

Author's Notes:   
Another one in the bag....getting interesting? Didn't think so...LoL J/K, I kinda like how this episode turned out...even if it was a bit long and hard on the ol' typin' fingers, oh well. The story is in the proverbial 'home stretch' and it won't be long before it's completed. *Sniffle...* ...heh heh...but who knows what surprises I still have in store for TSoS...and what's to follow :)

BTW, I had to change the rating of this story from R to PG-13 because some genius at the FF.Net offices thought it would be a great idea to only show the G-PG-13 stories once you click on a link to a category, making it extremely easy to look over the more, shall we say, 'colorful' stories (Hell, **I** even looked over my **own** story once.) Don't worry, PG-13 movies are just as bad content-wise as R rated movies and there are really no purpose for it, so nothing will change with that in mind.

**__**

  
NEXT TIME!!:   
With Kaz leaving the scene once Kei and Fujikuro butt in, retreating to his room (Err...Fujikuro's room...), Iria is left wondering, still, about many things...then in the wee hours of the morning---well...you'll just have to read **_IRIA: TSoS_** **Episode 10: '_Facing the Past_' **to find out!


	11. Facing the Past

**_"IRIA: The Soul of Silence"  
_An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!**  
  
  
  
**_Episode 10:_ _"FACING THE PAST"  
_**  


Kazon sat on the end of Fujikuro's bed in his darkened room, pulling and tugging a black glove onto his right hand. He strapped it on tightly before he picked up a piece of his alloy armor that was laying beside him and slid his hand and forearm into it, adjusted it into position. As he was doing so, he glanced over his shoulder to the large box that Kei had said she placed in Fujikuro's room for him. It was full of his equipment, weapons and such. But that was just it, it was full, but not anymore. He stood up, fully decked out in his armaments. He jumped around a little bit to see if everything felt right and if it was all in place.   
  
After finishing that little exercise, he lifted his right arm up and his left hand pushed a small button on a powerpack attached to his belt. As soon as he pushed the button, an unusually shaped, reddish colored, translucent shield appeared as if it were a hologram, projecting from the risen plate on his forearm's armor. The red aura refelcted off Kazon's green eyes as he examined the sheild...he'd need it where he was going. He nodded slightly in satisfaction, and Kazon pushed the button once again, making the shield-like device disappear.   
  
Everything was in order....  
  
He walked over to one of the nightstands, next to the bed and took a small, black hair-tie and pulled some of his dark hair back into a short ponytail, leaving the unorthodox front bangs as they were. He caught a glance at the digital clock on the same small table.  
  
"_4:06.._." Kazon read the glowing digits off to himself, "_...plenty of time._" He grabbed his long black coat that was laying on the bed and quietly slipped it on abd over his shoulders.  
  
"_You'd better be doing the right thing Kaz..._" he thought to himself as he buttoned up and fixed the collar of the coat. He glanced out the window of the room, watching the stillness of the night atmosphere. He sighed softly as he gently rubbed his stomach, as if he was a bit unsure if he was even up for what he was about to do, whatever that maybe. He quickly buried the thought and made his way to the door, taking up his two katanas that were propped against door frame and pushing a button single button on the wall. The katanas were bound together, ready for them both to be strapped over his back, but he kept them both held down by his side for now. As the door slid opened, he walked into the living room quietly.  
  
As he made his way through the dark living room, Kazon glanced over to the couch, seeing Fujikuro sound asleep and snoring quite loudly. Kaz simply shook his head and made his way over to the elevator. He was hasty with his movements, however he remained as quiet as a mouse. His gloved hand reached up to push the button on the control pad of the lift....but something stopped him. His finger slowly retracted into a fist as he looked over to that spot on the floor next to the supercomputer. He began to remember what had happened earlier that night...with Iria, that kiss, and his thoughts became cloudy. His hand began to shake and tremble a little as his conscious began to kick it into high gear.   
  
He feared that this would happen, that something would hold him back. He was hesitant, unsure, and in some ways, afraid. He had never had this feeling inside of him, not until recently. Not until he got to know _her_....  
  
Before he knew it, he was walking out of the elevator and back into the living room...  


  
*****  


  
Iria was sleeping soundly in her own bed, for once. She was still a bit tired from her care-taking of the injured Kazon, and maybe a bit bushed from her little 'sparring session' with him as well. Nevertheless, all was silent in her room as well...until the door leading into it slid open.  
  
Who would have guessed that it would be Kazon, as he quietly peeked in before he walked inside completely. He still had his katanas in his hands as he slowly approached the side of the bed, not making the slightest sound whatsoever. He stood there looking down at her for the longest time, watching her breath softly in her sleep. She was wearing her pajamas again, kind of laying on her side, the sheets covered he body, but that didn't seen to matter to him. His eyes remained on her face the whole time, that lost gaze still on his own. But even more, he has lost in the very glimpse of her. What was this? What was this that he was feeling? He didn't know for sure, but he wasn't in a big hurry to find out either. He tried to reassure himself that he had other plans for the moment, but something still held him back. _She_ held him back...  
  
His free hand reached down to gently brush a few stray, reddish-brown locks of hair from in front of her closed eyes, carefully tucking them behind her ear. He was rather soft with his touch, not wanting to wake her, for many reasons. Part of him didn't want his cover blown....but the other, this new side of him just wanted to watch her sleep.  
  
He finally looked away from her, and over to that same picture on the nightstand, the one of Iria and Gren. He noted the smile upon Iria's face in the picture, and the warm smile that Gren was returning to her. Kazon once again looked back to the sleeping Iria.  
  
"_This is for the best..._" he thought to himself before he slowly turned around and headed back for the door...  
  
"...going somewhere?" a soft voice called out to Kazon from behind him. Kazon immediately stopped upon hearing it and let out a soft sigh, knowing he had been caught. He turned around halfway to see that Iria was laying on her side and had her head propped up in her hand, her eyes burning right through him.   
  
"...'should have known." Iria went on. She threw her sheets aside and sat up, eyeing the long trench coat with an arched brow. "Just gonna walk away again? Not listening to anyone?" she added in a frustrated tone, obviously, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice.  
  
Kazon hesitated before speaking,"...there are just a few thing I need to do."  
  
"Like go fight Zeiram and Kross alone...? You're a horrible liar." Iria said in an agitated manner. Kazon slowly looked away from her. "I know you think he might be to one that killed your friend," she added as she stood up completely, "but you still don't realize that you can't do this alone. Not in your condition...not in any condition for that matter...! Face it, you're not going without me."  
  
Kazon looked back up to her, with a look of calmness. "...I have to do this alone. I've told you before, you'd just slow me down and I won't let _that _happen..."  
  
"Listen to yourself!" Iria said in a more imperative voice, her eyes narrowing but still kept the noise level down, not wanting to wake anyone else up. "Why do you have to be so stubborn, huh?! You just--" but before she could go any further, in the flash of an eye, Kazon quickly unsheathed one of the two katanas and a razor-sharp blade snapped up right under her chin, the tip of the blade barely even touching her skin. The action startled Iria, but she stood her ground.  
  
Kazon took a deep breath before he went on. "I'm doing this alone...whether you like it or not. You being there would just distract me and put both of us in danger. You can't get hurt or die trying to fight them, not now. If I screw this up...you could still have a chance..."  
  
"But--...!!" Iria mumbled softly as she stared down to the blade. All the while his words played over and over in her head. The way he was speaking, it was like he was actually cared for her and her safety. Or was he just saying it from a strategic point of view, and not really caring about her?  
  
It all confused her, but before she could say another word, Kaz then quickly moved the blade away from her and swiftly twirled around behind her in a blur. Before she knew it, Kazon had given her a quick shot to the back of her neck with his fist. Iria gasped loudly upon the impact, her eyes widening instinctively. Soon though, they slowly began to close as she fell, limply, down to the floor. Kazon remained standing behind her for a brief moment with his weapon still at hand. He didn't hit her hard enough to harm her, he knew this, only to knock her out for the time being and giving him time to get out of the house without her tailing him.  
  
Kazon returned the sword to its sheath before he set them both on the floor beside him. He then reached over to her bed and took one of the pillows and kneeled down beside her. He carefully lifted her head up and slid the pillow under it before gently setting it back down. He glanced over to the blanket for a moment...then he looked back down to her. He thought for a moment as he glanced down to his trench coat. He made up his mind and began to unbutton the coat and then slowly slid it off his shoulders. He carefully spread it out and covered her body with it, tucking her in tightly to keep her warm.  
  
"Sorry for that, but I need you to hold on to this for me...." He said in a very soft voice, referring to the coat, as his gloved hand gently brushed across her cheek. "It was Ouspi's...it means a lot to me..." His gloved hand once again brushed away a few strands of hair from her face. He remained there for a moment as he took in the mere sight of her once again with his hand resting gently on her cheek. He leaned his upperbody closer to her as he moved his hand over slightly, giving her cheek a gentle kiss before he let his fingers trail down her jawline and then completely way as he lifted himself back up.   
  
"Sleep well, Iria..."  
  
Kazon finally reached over and took the katanas by the straps again and stood up slowly. He turned to the door and began his exit, pushing the button to let it slide open once again. Inside the door frame, he turned back around completely get one, long last look at the fallen Iria...  
  
"Thank you, Iria..." Kazon said in that same voice, but with a calm, straight face. "...for everything." He took a step back and then reached over to and pushed the button to the door again...it sliding closed with Kazon behind it....  
  
As soon as he had left the house, Kazon was speeding across the dusty ground in his Kreeper at blistering speeds, kicking up a cloud behind him. Inside the cockpit. Kazon had that same look on his face as before, calm, cool and straight as an arrow as he held on to the controls. The lights of the control panels and consoles illuminated his face in the darkened atmosphere. His faced was lowered and his eyes were closed. He thought he was doing the right thing, leaving Iria behind, but, now that he was gone, he knew he had to put it all that behind him. Those feelings, however new they were to him, had to be let go. It was time for him to get back to work and as those dark green eyes slowly opened and revealed that cold, icy glare, looking forward with a bitter determination, the old Kazon was back....  
  
But there was one place he had to go before he set out on his journey...his journey back to Bachnia.  
  


*****  


  
Inside the Tedan Tippedai Headquarters, on one of the top floors, Touka was sitting on a cot in one of the many science labs. There was a large computer set up next to many large tubes with green liquid flowing in them. This was the same lab Iria had broken into one year ago, but had changed considerably, for even though it was Touka's lab, it could also be considered to be his 'cell'.   
  
Over the door, there was a security camera that was slowly panning back and forth from its fixed position. The sliding door leading into the lab also had a type of special lock on it and could only be opened from the outside. Apparently, even though he was 'set free', the higher-ups decided to still keep a close eye on him. Touka was silent, just sitting there with his face in his hands. It seemed as if he hadn't slept much over the last couple of days as his hands slowly to rub his eyes in a tired manner  
  
Suddenly, Touka was awoken to he sound of a loud bang at the door. He quickly looked up and shot up to his feet, glancing over to the door.   
  
"W-who's there!?" Touka called out cautiously. Then suddenly, the door cracked a little, sending the frightened Touka reeling back. The doctor watched on as to pairs of gloved fingers slid in-between the door and the frame. A low grunt was heard as the hands began to pull the door open slightly, the locks on the automatic door holding much opposition.  
  
Touka grinned slightly as the visage of this trespasser became visible to him, dropping his guard and letting out a relieved sigh. "I should have known..." he mumbled softly.  
  
True, it was Kazon, and he continued to push the door open even more, giving him plenty of room to squeeze through. Before he actually entered the room though, he paused to scan the area. He threw a quizzical glance toward the doctor and without saying a word Touka nodded and pointed in the direction above the door. Kazon brushed a few brown bangs from his face as his eyes followed to see the security camera above him. One hand reached up and quickly yanked a few multicolored cords from the camera that connected to the power box on the wall.  
  
"That should be alright," Touka said aloud. "The guards hardly ever watch those things at this time of night anyway." Touka's brow arched slightly. "But how exactly did you get into the building...?"  
  
"You know me..." Kazon responded quietly as he made his way over to the doctor brushing his gloved hands off. "I have my ways..." Kazon stopped a few feet from the aging man and casually crossed his arms over his armored chest, he did, however, leave his katana's in the Kreeper. "Why are they still keeping you locked up like this?"  
  
"Ask those Tedan Tippedai executives, the bastards...!" Touka said with much resentment. "Since the Vice-president's and Puttubayh's disappearances, they've be on a power trip themselves while still trying to maintain order. I was originally written up for some authority violation; treason of some sort, and they threw me in the cells they keep downstairs, underground..."  
  
"Shouldn't Administration take care of things like that...?" Kazon asked.  
  
Touka scoffed. "Trust me, Administration has bigger fish to fry. They let the Corporation deal with my case while they focused on happenings the Bachnia Center...and since the rumors of Zeiram reappearing began to circulate, they moved me up back to my lab in case they needed an answer quick. Then they put that lock on the door and the camera to make sure I don't try anything 'funny'..."  
  
"Hmm...."Kazon thought for a moment, "...who's in charge of the corporation now?"  
  
"A group of spineless bureaucrats, I tell you." Touka called out. "Puttubayh's protégées. They could never make decisions for themselves without the Vice-president's influence..."  
  
"Well, whatever Kross' 'influences' were, I'm afraid they've changed. ..." Kazon said in a more angered tone. "He's in the Bachnia Center with the new Zeiram clone....and Puttubayh's corpse as well."  
  
"What!?" Touka exclaimed.  
  
"Kross betrayed Puttubayh to gain control over the new Zeiram Unit...he's calling the new unit '_BETA_', and they've made the center their own little fortress." Kazon added as he began to pace around the tubes in the lab. "Tedan Tippedai was foolish to trust such a madman..."  
  
"Indeed...so the rumors **are** true then...?"  
  
"...but I didn't come here to give you a news report..." Kazon said as he snapped a hardened gaze at the doctor as he continued his stroll around the tubes. "I want answers about a few things..."  
  
Touka's arms folded over his chest as well with a stern gaze, that same ol' stern look he usually had on his face. The face that gave that creepy, old guy look. "What about...?"  
  
"Think back to one year ago, the Zeiramoids were just as hard to get rid of as the original Zeiram, correct?" Kazon said as he eyed a few cell samples floating the one of the tubes.  
  
"Yes. At the battle at the Tanjankanbaran Construction Site, the only weapon that was effective at all were flame-throwers from what I heard, unless you want to count the Madouradins..." Touka responded. "But bullets had hardly any effect on them."  
  
Kazon said as he glanced back over to the old man. "...how long has this new Zeiram Project been in effect? When was the Bachnia Center opened...?"  
  
"It started last year. Right after the original Zeiram's body was discovered and brought in for testing. The Bachnia Center's construction was a huge project set forth by Tedan Tippedai and Puttubayh urge for it's completion as soon as possible." Touka answered with a furrowed brow, wondering where Kazon's random questions were leading up to. "What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"I took a bounty recently on a group of Zeiramoids terrorizing the Sabaku Mining Colony. Iria took the same contract." Kaz went on. "Those Zeiramoids were able to be taken down by bullets..."  
  
"I know. It's odd...but that's not the only case of this I've heard about either." Touka said, scratching at his chin, still finding all of this to rather odd.  
  
"Could it be possible that those Zeiramoids were the clones of a clone?" Kazon asked as he stopped in front of the doctor.  
  
"What do you mean...?"  
  
"I overheard Bob and talking about it with Iria last night..." Kazon said, leaning back against one of the control consoles. "You can't clone anything from something that's dead, right? But somehow, the scientists in Bachnia figured out a way, otherwise they wouldn't have had the ability to make a new Zeiram. So, 'what I mean' is what if the Zeiramoids in Sabuku were cloned from the already-cloned _BETA_? And since _BETA_ was created from a deceased base, could it have left a vital genetic traits out...?"  
  
"Hmmm...." Touka looked up to the high ceiling and thought for a minute, keeping very quiet as Kazon kept his eyes trained on him. Finally, the doctor spoke again. "That might very well be the case. Otherwise they would be resistant to firearms, unlike the Zeiramoids you encountered."  
  
"Then if it is the case, the same could be true for Zeiram itself...?" Kazon eyes, his eyes narrowing slightly just by mentioning the name. "By leaving something out, it was weakened...."  
  
"It may be that--..." Touka began to say before he stopped himself. He then shook his head and sighed softly, "No, nevermind....it's dangerous to assume anything, you know that. The only way you could tell for sure was if it went through the proper examina--"  
  
"Assumptions or not," Kazon interrupted him, "this new Zeiram could very well have a weakness. I don't think Kross' boasting is very legit, something is up..."  
  
Touka grinned and stared the young Hunter down. "You haven't changed one bit. You're still that cold, blacklisted bastard that would always get himself into trouble back on Taowajan. I bet you're going to leave here and go directly to Bachnia after this, aren't you...? Take on Zeiram all by yourself...?" he said in a mocking tone.  
  
Kazon said nothing...he just slowly looked away, back to the cells in the tubes.  
  
"Hmph..." the doctor sighed. "....I know you are. However, I wouldn't if I were you." This caught Kazon's attention once again. "If history repeats itself, they're going to Transit the site again. It's the only plan Administration knows of that will get rid of Zeiram. If you're foolish enough to go through with whatever outlandish thing it is you're planning, they might just Transit you along with it...!"  
  
"Then I'll have to work _fast_, won't I?" Kazon said quietly, just as mocking as Touka's manner was, as his arms dropped down to his sides. "I'm not here for a lecture..."  
  
Touka watched him for a few moments before he shook his head slightly, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Hell, there's no way_ I_ can stop you...." Kazon nodded in return, moving back to the door...then he stopped himself. Something, a thought, suddenly crossed his mind. Something that had been eating at him since his first attempt to infiltrate Bachnia, and if anybody knew what the answers were it'd be the doctor. This sudden stop recaptured Touka's attention, giving the Hunter a look of confusion and an arched brow.  
  
"One more thing..." Kazon said in a very silent tone, his head hung low. "It's about Ouspi..." Touka simply looked away from the young man as if he was ashamed, realizing for himself what it was that Kazon was going to ask him. Kazon glanced back over his shoulder to him, his eyes displaying a fearful, yet angered gaze. Touka turned away from the Hunter and walked over to his computer console.   
  
"I know what you must be thinking....and yes, it could very well be true..." Touka said solemnly.  
  
"Was Kross with the company back then...?"  
  
"The original Zeiram Project was many years in the making, long before the Karma episode and long before your incident four years ago," he responded as he adjusted his glasses on his face. "Tsutomegi wasn't a part of the original research team, don't get that idea stuck in you head, but he might have been under the employ of the company. The Vice-president would have been about the same age as you were at the time of Ouspi's death..."   
  
"I see..." Kazon responded quietly as he looked away from the doctor, his gaze falling downward.  
  
"Ouspi was a good friend...but take my advice, trying to avenge him alone will only bring you to an early grave." Touka finally looked back to him. "Yours and Hunter Iria's pasts are linked if you think about it. If it hadn't been for your cry of justice after your incident, Administration wouldn't had ever placed that law banning anyone from using and controlling Zeiram. If it weren't for that law, I strongly believe the Karma Incident would have never happened...."  
  
"So, are you trying to put the blame for Iria's past on me...?" Kazon said quietly, keeping his eyes averted.  
  
"N-no! Not at all...!" Touka answered as he shook his head nervously. Kazon might have not had expressed it visually, but Touka could hear the bitterness in the young man's voice. "I just mean that you two share a common bond! Which is why you shouldn't go at this alone!" Touka's brow arched slightly. "Where is she anyway? I figured she'd still be with you...?"  
  
"She's 'preoccupied'..." Kazon said in an 'matter-of-fact' voice, his arms folding over his armored chest. Of course she was preoccupied. He had knocked her out, right? Kaz thought that was a good enough excuse.  
  
"Yes, well..." Touka mumbled out, not really sure what the dark Hunter meant by that. "In any case, you shouldn't try anything, atleast not now. Even if you did take Kross out of the picture, you would still have Zeiram to deal with--"  
  
"I said wasn't here for a lecture, doctor." Kazon interjected once again. "My mind's made up and I'm doing it _without_ Iria. I'm not gonna let her get involved..." and with that he made his way to the door he had pried opened.   
  
"Kazon Locke, actually caring for someone's well being other than his own?!" Touka called out with a coy grin as Kazon started to squeeze his way back through the opening. Kazon stopped again and shot a cold glance over to the old man. The good doctor couldn't help but let his smirk grow wider as he turned his back to him and strolled over to his computer stations, teasing the young Hunter. "What's next, boy? You blushing?!"  
  
"Tch....whatever..." Kazon muttered under his breath, and didn't bother in trying to get the last word in. He didn't care. He had to hurry. He just made his way out the door as quietly as possible....  
  
Touka looked back over his shoulder as the young Hunter exited, letting out a deep sigh. "Good luck...."  
  


*****  


  
"Hey, Iria! Iria!!" Kei shouted as she shook the young Hunter's limp body. The sun had risen and the beams of light were shining brightly through the large window of Iria's room.   
  
Iria eyes began to open slowly, her vision slightly blurred. Eventually, Kei's visage came into focus. Iria felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck as she slowly sat up, one hand gently rubbing at the soreness. Her head was throbbing.  
  
"Iria, are you alright...?" Kei said with a confused tone. "What did you do, fall out of bed?"  
  
"N-no...I--" her voice stammered, but when her hand fell down to her lap and felt a bit of a leathery material that was draped over her, those brownish eyes shot open completely. It was Ouspi's trench coat..._Kazon's coat_. Her eye's immediately narrowed as she began to recall what had happened in the middle of night. Kazon had walked in. Kazon had put her out, to either save her from getting into trouble or to just get her out of his way.   
  
"That bastard...!!" Iria yelled through her grinding teeth as she threw the coat off of her and on top of Kei. Kei, let out a shocked gasp as tried to fight her way out from under the coat.  
  
"Hey!! What's the big--?!" She stopped herself when she poked her head out from under the coat. She saw Iria, who hadn't really gained her footing back fully yet, stumble up to her feet and storm over to the door. "Iria...!?"  
  
Iria walked with authority as she passed the snoring Fujikuro propped on the couch. She went to the door leading into the scruffy Hunter's room and pushed a button next to the frame. It quickly slid open, revealing...well, nothing. Nothing but a bedroom. The bed was still made and everything was untouched. Iria was skeptic at first. Maybe Kazon had changed his mind about leaving them? However, when she looked into the box that once held Kazon's things they had brought over, completely empty, she knew her answer.  
  
"He really did it...that stupid--" she said softly and mainly to herself. Her voice and her eyes almost had a hint of sadness behind her angry disposition. Kazon was gone.  
  
Kei stumbled into the room shortly after, holding Kazon's black coat in her hands, the tail of it dragging the floor. "Iria?! What going on--?" But she got her answer as well as she eyed the empty box. There was silence from the two, neither of them really knowing what to say. Kei walked up beside Iria and looked up into her eyes. Iria was obviously upset, but the Hunter looked as if she was thinking, a deep thought. Kazon was indeed gone, but Iria was up to something of her own.  
  
"Kei, go fuel up the Kreeper." Iria said sternly, pushing the box away from her and turning to the door. "I know were he is...better yet, where he's going...."   
  
Kei watched on in confusion, looking back and forth between the box and the departing Iria, letting out a soft sigh as things began to become a little clearer to her...  


  
*******************  


  


**_Author's Notes_**:   
Sorry this episode took longer than expected to finally get completed and posted. On top of FF.Net's difficulties, family stuff, and getting ready for my senior year and all that crap out of the way, writing times have been scarce. Anyways, that's all for now. Check out my pictures!!!!!  
  
http://community.webshots.com/user/krissama  
**_  
NEXT TIME!!:_**   
Kaz is gone and Iria is on to him. But can she stop him before he screws up royally...? Find out in **_IRIA: TSoS_** **Episode 11: '_You and Me_'!**  


  
  
  



	12. You and Me

**"_IRIA: The Soul of Silence_"  
An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!  
  
  
_Episode 11: "YOU and ME"_**

  


  
A short soldier rushed his stocky frame through the legions of troops behind the makeshift, sand barricades set up around the hostile Bachnia Center. Pushing his way through the lines of soldiers, there was a certain urgency in the messenger's steps.   
  
Under the cover a large, open-sided tent, the commander of operations wiped beads of sweat from his brow. This nerve racking experience a little too much for him, obviously. He stood alone as he looked out towards the West, passed a few scattered hills. The sun was beginning to rise from behind those hills, dawn would be soon to break. Another day of sitting and watching it seemed; the same thing, day in and day out, that it had been for the last week. That's all the Administration and Tedan Tippedai security forces could do, just sit around and wait for orders that never seem to come. Unlike one year ago, there were no Zeiramoids on constant attack. There were no sounds of screams and pain from either side. Furthermore, there was no sign of Zeiram, nothing but a cut radio signal from the other day along with squads of soldiers that never came back out...  
  
From the corner of his eye, the commander saw a short fellow approach him breathing rather heavily. Out of shape....no wonder he was a messenger. The stout soldier straightened himself out as best he could given his state of breathlessness and gave him a sharp salute before speaking.  
  
"Sir...!" the young man said in a burly voice, a hint of hesitation in his tone. "News from Administration....!"  
  
"What of it....?" the commander said dryly. It had indeed been a long couple of days, and the ware was surely showing on the commander's face. New intell gave him a slight twinkle in his eye however.  
  
"Headquarters is sending mobile transemblers to our location to eliminate the Zeiram threat," the messenger went on.   
  
"That's it...!?" the commander spat out in disgust. "We sit around for days doing nothing with men in a building dying because we're not allowed to move in, and the best they can come up with is the same thing that they did last time...?!"  
  
The rashness of the commander made the messenger a bit more nervous. Why was he the one that had to deliver this news...? "T-they believe that repeating the actions carried out at the Tanjankanbaran Construction Site is the best course of action in our situation."  
  
The commander took a deep reflective breath, calming himself as he faced reality. After a brief pause, he spoke in a soft voice. "It's the only course of action in our situation. Is that all...?"  
  
"Yes sir," the messenger answered. "With your permission, I will go warn the other posts about the arriving transemblers and--"  
  
Before the messenger could finish his sentence, soldiers at camp suddenly arose in a loud commotion. Both the commander and the young soldier shot quick glances over to the crowd. Their first impression was that something was happening at the Bachnia complex. However, oddly enough, the groups of soldiers had their backs turned to the center, looking and pointing in opposite direction. The commander's brow furrowed as something approaching from the distance.  
  
"....--the hell?" the commander said, confused, as the object came a little closer into view, but not enough for his tired eyes to piece the image together. He reached over for his binoculars that were laying on an idle sandbag and quickly brought them into focus on the peculiar siting. It was a small Kreeper, somewhat dark in color and traveling at a blinding speed. The commander's brow narrowed as he tossed the binoculars aside, landing in the jittery hands of the lowly messenger boy. The soldier watched with a dumbfounded look on his face as the commander stormed down to the post checkpoint.  
  
"Sir!!" another troop called out to the commander as he met him halfway. "There's a Kreeper coming from--"  
  
"I know..." the commander cut him off with a stern look, and walked right pit..."  
  


*********

  


  
"Look, think about this for a second! Just how far do you even think could he have gotten by now, huh....?!" Fujikuro asked in a rather loud, pleading manner as he watched Iria tug one of her long, white boots over her foot and all the way up to her mid-thigh. Kei was in the room as well, trying to keep herself out of all the commotion. "He could be halfway to hell by now and you wanna follow him?!"  
  
"I've tried to contact him through the comm disc we gave him, but he seems to have closed the circuit," Bob said as his AI twirled on the viewing screen. "There's no way of knowing were he is really..."  
  
"That's what I'm going to find out," Iria said with a hint of confidence in her voice and a stern look in her eye. She stood up and grabbed her crimson cloak, slipping it over her head. Fully prepared, she moved over to the weapons cabinet to stock up for the long trip ahead. Fujikuro was on the virge of a hernia, no doubt, but oddly made no attempt to physically stop her. However, that wouldn't shut him up atleast...  
  
"Iria...!!" he yelled. "What are we even yelling about?! I'm not gonna let you go out and get yourself killed with that--...that..." his own spasticness jumbled his mind as he searched for the right word, "that...**STIFF**!! And not only a stiff, but a dumb stiff with a rocket up his ass! If both of you go out there, screw up, and die, then what?!"  
  
"Kazon said the same thing," Iria said, shooting the scruffy Hunter a cold gaze as she took her rifle from the cabinet. "He wasn't very convincing either. Show's how much I listen, right?" Fujikuro's eyes widened as he watched Iria sling the large rifle over her shoulder and snapping it into it's silver locking mechanism on her cloak. She walked right passed him, heading for the lift in the corner of the room.   
  
"Iria...!!" Fujikuro scowled between his teeth, his fist clenching together tightly in his frustration.  
  
"What if they try to Transit it away again?" Kei said, breaking her silence, stopping Iria. "What if you end out in space or something?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure they've changed the computer systems as well," Bob said as his AI image continued to twirl about. "Hack into the system would probably take longer than last time and probably more time than we have."  
  
"...then I'll have to work fast, won't I?" Iria said, then weirdest thing happened. She smiled....it was almost like she knew that Kazon would have said the same thing. The thought...just made her smile, and it even comforted her to some extent. She had indeed grown attached to him, maybe a bit too much for her own good. But she wanted to do this for him, despite the Hunter's, and her friends, pleas for her not to. She wanted to help Kazon and be there with him, and if that was her only motivation then so be it, she thought. Iria glanced over to the fuming Fujikuro...  
  
"Loosen up, ok?" she said softly. "Nothing bad will happen to me...." She turned on a heel and holstered a pistol at her thigh. "If thing start getting rough, I'll bail out and try to get Kaz out as well."  
  
"You've already have to save his ass once..." Fujikuro said, his arm folding over his chest as a stern gaze fixing on the young Hunter, "And personally, I'm more concerned about you coming out alive than him."  
  
Iria couldn't help but to grin as she mad her way to the elevator. "I think you've already gotten that across, old man..." Iria settled herself in the elevator pad and pushed a few buttons. "Wish me luck..." and with that, the pad descended, taking her out of Fujikuro's view.  
  
The scruffy Hunter simply stood there. He was somewhat disgusted at Iria's lack of conformity....but then again, who was he to preach about conforming to the rules. So maybe he was just worried....but he had no say. Iria was grown up....he can't simply baby-sit for Gren anymore.  
  
_"...you'll need it, kid."_  
  


*********

  


  
The Kreeper, which was traveling at a blinding speed moments before began to slow itself as it approached the checkpoint. Of course, running it didn't seem logical, considering the entire brigade of armed troops surrounded the small opening of the sandbag barrier out of natural curiosity. At the forefront of the troops was their commander, standing rigidly with his hands on his hips as the Kreeper came to a stop in a few feet in front of him. The hovercraft lowered itself, hugging the ground as the engine's roar slowly died down to a hum. A brief stillness followed, but was quickly broken as a soft beep came from the Kreeper external comm-system...  
  
"...move...." a low voice called over the intercom, the low, soft voice coming from the inside obviously. His message was short and to the point.  
  
The commander stepped forward, yelling above the hum of the engines. "This area is under Tedan Tippedai security and the Mycian Administration jurisdiction. Further access by an outside party is denied by order of higher authority." The commander took a sharp breath as he eyes narrowed.  
  
Inside the cockpit, a lone Kazon Locke fiddled with a few controls as he commander continued over his comm system. "For your safety, I ask that you turn your vehicle around and go back to where you came from." The Hunter's dark green eyes squinted a bit in resentment as he pressed the outgoing message button once more...  
  
"....I said '_move_'..."  
  
"I will not ask you again..." the commander exclaimed with a bit more disdain. His patience was nil at this point. "Return to where ever it is you came from or you will leave us with no choice but to place you under arrest! This is your final warning, and I do suggest that you take it."   
  
Kazon gave the man in charge one long, icy stare through the tinted cockpit window as he drew in a deep breath. He pressed the comm button once more.  
  
"...then you leave me with no choice..." the chilly voice called out over the comm-system. The commander looked on with approval as the Kreeper engines fired up once more and lifted itself from the ground.....then the buzz of the comm sounded again as the chilling voice filled the air again.  
  
"....consider this **your** final warning." The propulsion valves on the Kreeper tilted slightly, and the commander's expression changed dramatically to a flushed pale hue.  
  
"He's gonna run right through us...!!!" a single soldier screamed out loud, drawing his weapon. He couldn't have been more observant. Kazon pushed the throttle as far as he could push it. The engine roared loudly and with a burst of acceleration, the Kreeper lunged forward.  
  
"Open fire!!" The commander yelled, running away from the oncoming vehicle. "Don't let him get away!" Almost immediately after the order was barked, a few of the unfazed soldiers of the brigade opened fire on the Kreeper. The young Hunter's efforts were cut short as one bullet tore through the open engines main mechanism, sending the hovercraft stalling and hitting the ground before it could completely cross the blockade line.  
  
"Surround it, and arrest that man!" The commander shouted, regaining his baring. The soldiers followed order readily, sprinting to the downed Kreeper with their rifles drawn.   
  
One of the first soldiers to reach the vehicle leaped up onto the hull and banged on the cockpit glass. "Open up!" the soldier called out and banged on it some more. "Open up by order of-- GAH!" Before the soldier could finish his sentence, a small portion of the front of the Kreeper erupted in a medium size plume of smoke.  
  
"What the..?!" the commander uttered in confusion as he watched a small, winged device shot out of the hull of the Kreeper then sped over the sandbags and towards the Bachnia Center. Just then, the cockpit snapped open and, in an amazing blur, a dark figure leaped from the pilot seat. The slowly rising sun wrapped a black silhouette around the man as he flipped in the air. He had those two katanas strapped over his shoulders and across his chest, forming an 'X' formation across his back. Hunter Kazon Locke seemingly floated down to the small glider-like object. The glider's propulsion systems hummed like a swarm of bees as it quickly raced toward the ominous and infested science center.  
  
The commander took a few steps toward the Kreeper, looking it over with a dumbfounded gaze. A short moment later, he looked up tot he horde of clueless troops around him and then to the trail of dust kicked up by the glider. He ran a hand through his shortly trimmed hair. "Well.....damn...."  
  


*********

  


  
Elsewhere, Iria raced at her own frenzied pace. She was pushing her three-seater as much as she could, hoping to catch up with Kazon before he did something too drastic. Her reddish-brown hair bellowed and blew furiously in the oncoming wind and her speedy hovercraft left a large cloud of dust behind her. Iria's mind was racing....true, she had to stop Kaz from doing something over-the-top...but what about herself? How far would she go to get rid of Zeiram? Not only Zeiram, but a Zeiram that seemed to surpass the unit she had such a hard time defeating one year ago.   
  
Iria simply shook her head, knocking those thoughts out of her head. If BETA-Zeiram was to pose a threat to her, then it would only be second to the real objective that she faced: Helping Kazon....   
  
"_Kaz...._" Iria thought to herself. _"Nothing's gonna get in my way. From now on, It's about **you** and **me**...."_  


**  
**

*************************  


  


**_Author's Notes:_**   
Well....It took a long ass time, but I finally updated. I'm sorry for the long delay and I'm sorry for the crappy installment at the end of the wait. I really don't like how this one turned out. However, please keep in mind that I have been on a very tight schedule as of late with school and whatnot and I have had ZERO time to do anything with any of my stories. I also haven't figured out how to dig myself out of a plot hole I've mistakenly created...so I hope everything will come together soon. Like I said, don't hate me cause this one was a stinker.  
  
**_NEXT TIME!!:_**  
Kazon finally faces his fate at the Bachnia Center. He's on a quest for answers and a thirst for revenge. However, Iria is hot on his tail and determined to help Kaz turn the tides. Will the troubled Hunter accept Iria? Or protest to go alone? Or either...? Find out in the next episode of **_IRIA: TSoS_ Episode 12: '_A Fatal Design_'! **  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. A Fatal Design

**"_IRIA: The Soul of Silence_"  
An "IRIA: Zeiram the Animation" FanFic   
Written by: KRIS-SAMA!! The Illustrious Swordfish!!!_  
  
  
Episode 12: "A FATAL DESIGN"_**  


  
A gloved hand gripped the steering device with a tightened fist while the other brushed over Iria's forehead to swat away a few loose locks of dark hair from in from of her eyes. The young Hunter's free hand then fell down to the navigational systems, pressing a few buttons here and there to check the status of her zooming Kreeper. The oncoming wind was blowing her hair all over the place, trying to keep it steady seemed to be a bit of a hassle. Even worse, over her shoulder, behind her, the morning sun had fully risen over the rocky horizon and had been beating down on her for a atleast a few minutes now. This wasn't a good sign to Iria because it meant that time was surely passing and seemingly quicker than it normally would. Perhaps it was the usual case given the grave situation. And with each passing moment, her worried expression grew more and more prominent....  
  
Those brown eyes of the young Hunter fell from path in front of her. What was this she was feeling? Throughout her journey from her home outside of Myce City to the ill-fated Bachnia Center, that cockiness and cheerfulness she displayed to her friends before leaving had surely faded to a somber note. All the time alone gave her more time than she need to think...about him. It was starting to get harder for her to tell what her motives actually were. Was she out to save Myce and the rest of the universe again? Or was she turning into a selfish little girl with a crush? Has she really changed that much? Given her thoughts for Kazon, had she really regressed to that little girl, or had she maybe grown up a little...? She didn't know...but she knew the circumstances and the seriousness of the situation; of Kazon's situation.  
  
"_Kaz..._" That was it. That's what she wanted to do, she thought. She wanted to help Kazon, and that was reason enough for her. Maybe it wasn't just to help him beat Zeiram, or even Kross for that matter. She just wanted to be there for him, to help him. Her dark eyes narrowed slightly as she looked back up to the path ahead of her, a new found bit of determination overcoming her expression. Yet, her rush of emotion was quickly halt. Over the rocky and hilly terrain of boulders and mesas, multiple plume of dust and dirt were being kicked into the sky. Iria's brow arched inquisitively as she squinted in for a closer look between the passing rock.  
  
"_Those are--..._" she peered in even closer. Giants they were. Rolling titans with long, slender cannon-like barrels protruding out from in front them. The large treads trudged and dug into the dirty soil below it, keeping a frenzied pace and running in the same direction as Iria was. At first, she thought they were a type of tank due to the barrel sticking out of them, but they couldn't be. The weren't bulky enough to be Madouradins atleast...  
  
"Transemblers..." Iria finally concluded aloud. She looked away from the dust plumes, back to the path. "It's along shot...but..." Iria eyed the communication system switch to her right for a moment. She considered...well, actually hoped that a certain spikey-haired Hunter wouldn't answer if she called home. She was tired of explaining herself. So, she reluctantly reached over and pressed a small button, a bit of static irrupting from the comm-speaker.  
  
"Bob....?" Iria asked...hopefully.  
  
"_Iria..?_!" Bob's voice rang from the speaker, a hint of static attached to it. "_It's about time you opened the circuit. Fujikuro's going crazy over here waiting for you to call._"  
  
"Let him," Iria said bluntly. "I need you to do me a favor. There's a group of mobile Transemblers on their way to the center...."  
  
"_You want me to hack into them like last year...?_" Bob asked. "_I told you, that might be a bit harder than this time than last..._"  
  
"No, that's not it," Iria responded. "Leave the Transemblers to me. I need you to hack into the Bachnia Center's mainframe if you can...No telling if it's still operating, but I want you to try anyway."  
  
Bob didn't respond right away, like he was puzzled by the request. "_....and why do you want me to do that?_"  
  
"Because," Iria answered. "I'm going in and I might need you...yanno', just in case."  
  
Bob paused again. Iria was sure that her old friend didn't like whatever it was she was planning. Hell, even she herself didn't know what she was planning. But, nevertheless, Bob conceded. "_Alright, Iria. Just be careful...ok?_"  
  
Iria nodded slightly. "I will Bob..."**_  
  
_**

*****  


  
The once crystal-clear glass doors leading into the front lobby of the Bachnia Center now stood coated in a grimy film surrounded by those dark, fleshy, root-like growths bordering the frame and across it, sealing it closed. The innards of the complex truly was isolated from the outside world now. The building had transformed into a living being all to itself though it was nothing but the darkened, dank tomb of all those left in it once BETA-Zeiram was released. It was nearly as quiet as a tomb, save from the occasional drip of unsightly ooze from those disgusting limbs that climbed up the walls and wrapping around everything else in sight. Unusually, the glass of the door began to shake slightly. The crack where the sliding doors met in the middle suddenly began to tremble as if something were trying to pry it open. Oddly, as soon as it vibrations started, they stopped and all was quiet once gain.  
  
Then a loud crashing sound rocked the glass foundation, sending pieces of filth and grime flying from the dirty doors and down to the floor. The echo of the sound filled the silent room and resonated down the halls, causing a few of the roots surrounding the room and frame began to twitch and come to life all by themselves. Then another banging force stuck the glass again sending a spider-web of cracks and fissures across one point in the door. Then another crash, this time was enough to puncture the tempered glass. Within a newly formed oval-shaped hole about midway up the doors length rested a polished silver plate, as stark contrast to the murky glass and roots that surround it. Those pulsing limbs and roots finally sprung into action, reaching to wrap themselves around the intruder, only to be foiled as that armored plate pulled out of the hole. The branches stopped suddenly, almost as if they were taken by surprise at the light that now blazed through the gap, beaming from the morning sun. It cut the foggy must that lingered inside the building like a knife.  
  
With a low grunt sounding off from outside another crash of greater force than any before it finally shattered the door. Shards of razor sharp glass flew across the lobby cutting down the stalled roots and limbs and everything else in their path. With the building's scum covered shield broken, light brilliant filled the once darkened lobby the only shadow cast was one of a human figure, crouched slightly, with it's right shoulder down, rigidly positioned in the doorway as the last of the dangling glass attached tot he frame dropped to the floor beneath. The obvious assailant of the door's destruction.   
  
"...so much for quiet," the young man softly said to himself.  
  
Kazon Locke slowly straightened himself, keeping his movements careful and cautious. His green eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkened silhouette the sun had created in front of him and they slowly scanned over the lobby before him. It was just as he had expected...dark, smelly and unsightly. The young Hunter took only a step inside the complex when he felt a sharp pinching sensation in his right arm. He grimaced slightly as his other hand reflexively grabbed at his shoulder, his teeth clenched at the sudden jolt of pain. He reached under the plate of alloy armor that covered his shoulder and his gloved hand pulled a single shard of glass from under it. It had punctured his skin through his body suit and the pointy tip of the glass was lightly covered in his blood. Kazon's eyes showed his disdain as he gripped the glass in his thick glove tightly and looked back to his arm for a moment. There was a bit of blood beading and rolling across his bicep, but nothing too serious.  
  
"_Hmm..._" Kazon took one more look around the room, trying to recall the floor plan of this hellish place and noting the lack of movement and stillness of the environment. "_No Zeiramoids...I thought they were supposed to be 'spreading in numbers'...?_"   
  
His face was as blank as it ever was before...even now. Yet, he knew where he had to go...that room were this all started, where Kross Tsutomegi revealed**_ BETA_**-Zeiram to him and Iria days before. The Hunter reached to his belt, pulling out his pair of inferred goggles that he had used before and slipped them on. He took one more silent look at the piece of glass; he scoffed softly then through it down to the floor like a dart, impaling in a thick, rootish limb that had stretch across the floor below him. He turned and stared down a long dark corridor, drawing his pistol from it's holster.  
  
"_No time to waste..._" he thought to himself as his free hand reached up to press the small button on the goggles that made his red visual aid and scanner lens slide down in front of his right eye. "_If Zeiram's here...he'd be in the same place, waiting._" He grasped his weapon in both hands now, pointing it downward, and he stalked his way to the cargo elevator he and Iria had used to reach the complex basement where his fate was awaiting him.... **_  
  
_**

*****  


  
Swarms of armored troops bundled around Iria's Kreeper as she slowly brought the hovercraft to a stop in front of the barricade. With their guns and rifles drawn, some of which pointed at the Kreeper rather than Iria, they weren't going to let another incident like the one a few minutes earlier happen again...not on their shift, they say. The troops doubled up even, some taking a knee so that additional lines of men could fill in gaps. All this for the sake of foiling another break...or maybe so they wouldn't have two bad notes to go on the day's checklist. Iria leaned up in her seat a bit, getting a better view of the guard swarming the hull of the vehicle, her brow raised slightly in question. She noticed a man, a bit less decorated, but a lot more rigid than the other guards jogging her way. His face was red with agitation it seemed, obviously something had happened before she had gotten there. He raise one hand up to the other men, barking orders.  
  
"Hold your fire!" he called out to the other as he power walked his way to the Kreeper. "I'll handle this! Just keep your eyes peeled -- Don't let her do anything..."  
  
"_Must be in charge..._" Iria thought to herself as she flipped the engine switches down, cutting the power to the Kreeper. It's automatic stabilizers slowly lowered it to a resting position on the ground. Iria's eyes gazed over the numerous groups of soldiers and she couldn't help but to shake her head. "_I don't have time for this..._" It was then, from the corner of her eye, she saw that smooth gray single-seater of to her side uncharacteristically wedged into the ground, as if it had fallen from it's hover. It was rattled with dents and scars from bullets, the cockpit hatch barely open. Iria's eyes widened to the size of Kajakunban leaves at sight...  
  
"Kaz...!!" She immediately leapt over the side hull of her Kreeper and to her feet on the ground. Her crimson cloak kicked up dust as she pushed herself upwards and lunged into a sprint. Surprised, the guards took a jumpy aim at the Hunter, but did nothing else as a few of them were mowed down by the rushing Iria as she forced her way to the other Kreeper. Lucky for her, a few of the higher ranking soldiers were there to reiterate the order not to fire. Iria grasped on the hull of Kazon's Kreeper, finding a foot hole to push herself in reach of the cockpit. She grabbed a corner of the hatch and slung it open. It looked like she would almost have ripped the thing off if she could have, considering the amount of force she put into merely opening a door.  
  
But she saw nothing... Iria had figured as much. She knew he wouldn't be here, but it was still worth a look anyway. Still, though she knew he wouldn't be here, her heart sunk within her chest and she nearly swallowed her tongue. He wasn't here, true...but that meant he was inside.... A stark wind had begun to blow as Iria glanced up to the darkened Bachnia Center that stood mere yards away, Zeiram's new home. That sinking feeling in her stomach could only mean one thing...  
  
"You just missed that idiot. Took off like a bat outta' hell..." a voice called out from behind her. Still latched on to the Kreeper, Iria spun her head around to see the groups commanding officer standing next to her own Kreeper. His arms were casually folded over his flack jacketed chest. "You're her aren't you...?" The question made Iria give the man a puzzled look as she pushed herself from the side of the gray Kreeper and down tot he ground. "You're that Hunter they say got Zeiram last year, aren't you....?"  
  
Iria turned to the man. She paused for a moment, that sinking feeling growing deeper now that she knew Kazon had gone in alone. She took a deep breath as she shook he head and threw her arms out to her sides. "You have to call the Transembler plan off, now!!"  
  
"I'm going to hav'ta ask ya to calm down, lady," the commander said, shaking his head. "I only do what I'm told from the regs'. Those Transits are already inbound and we've been ordered to zap that--...thing into space. Not a damn thing can be done."  
  
Iria's anger began to rise and it was noted in her stalking steps toward the commander. Kazon was not going to be whisked away from her like that.  "Look, he went in there, right?! So, I don't have time to stand here and argue with you!"  
  
"Neither do** I**, lady!" the commander exclaimed, Iria's forcefulness was beginning to upset him as well. "Those Transemblers are gonna be here any second now and we've got to be ready for them. Now if you don't mind, return to your vehicle and get outta' here!" The commander locked eyes with Iria's, his own brow narrowing. Many of the guards that were circling the two had lowered their weapons with general looks of confusion.  
  
"You don't understand!" Iria pleaded and pointed a finger over to the Bachnia Center. "If you Transit that place now--"  
  
"No! **You're** the one that doesn't seem to understand!" the commander said sternly, his fist falling to his sides clenched. He then reached up, pointing over to the living building. "I'm not gonna call off an operation for one person that decided he wanted to play hero!"  
  
"We've got families, lady!" one of the troops called out from the crowd during the momentary break in the argument.   
  
"We're just doing our job!" another called out after his comrade.  
  
Iria looked over in the direction of each voice, her agitated expression unchanged. Her eyes fell onto a third soldier who started to speak his own say "What if whatever is in there breaks out or something?! Then what?!"  
  
"Ya' see...? That thing is just sitting in there and we haven't had a Zeiramoid sighting in hours. We may not get another chance this good to send it away!" the commander went on, now pointing into the direction of Myce City. "I hate to break it to you, but saving your partner's life here ain't gonna justify risking thousands more over there!!"  
  
Those words hit Iria hard. Hard enough that her furious eyes slowly softened under the commander's cold stare. It was true that stopping the Transit would put all of Myce at risk. Yet, she knew that transiting it away wouldn't do any good. It would just come back eventually, then what? But then...Kaz would gone for good, with no way to get back. Iria's eyes lowered from the commander's locked gaze finally...the thought of Kazon floating around in the middle of space, dead and helpless feeding her a new sadness.  
  
"_Hmph..._" The commander jutted his jaw out a bit, rasing his chin slightly as felt he had won the battle between the too. He turned himself away from the young Hunter and began to walk back to his post. "Just go home, kid. Nothing can be done about you friends foolishness...."  
  
Then Iria's eyes shot open, snapping a cold gaze at the man's back. "....it **you're** boss' foolishness that got him in the position in the first place. Tedan Tippedai, Administration, all of them...! It's the people like your bosses, the one's that are telling you to Transit the damn thing away, that are the fools, not him!" The commander had stopped upon hearing her words and he looked over his shoulder the Hunter. Iria slowly raise her head, bringing her fiery eyes back into view. Those brown orbs burned right through the man's back, a gaze that rivaled even Kazon's on a bad day...  
  
Iria straightened herself and took another breath. "You talk about families and friends back in the city like I don't know about what it feels like. Believe me... I've got friends waiting for me back in the city just like every one else here," she said as she motioned to the troops around her. "And everyone here knows the consequences!" She looked over to the Bachnia Center, almost as if she were searching for Kazon in there from the very spot she was standing. "He knew the consequences too... but he didn't want anyone else to get involved..."  
  
The commander had a bit of a confused look on his face as he turned around to face Iria again. She seemed as if she were talking to herself at time, more so than the people she was trying to convince. Still, his arms refolded over his chest, listening...  
  
Iria paused a moment before looking back over to the commander. "...maybe I don't have a good reason for calling off your plan just to save one man's life. But when I got here, you asked me if I was the one that killed that thing last year. With that, you acknowledged the fact that maybe Zeiram can be beaten for good and you don't just have to 'send it away' only to have it come back later."  
  
The commander swallowed, trying his best to keep it hidden. He lowered he head slightly as the contemplated her words, running them through his head many times to register whatever logic she was trying to pound into him.  
  
"This **_BETA_**-Zeiram could be flawed," Iria went on. "It was created in a lab; it's not like the other one. That 'fool', as you call him, thinks there's a weakness and that's why he rushed to stop it. I believe him and I'm asking you, for once, atleast act like you believe it too." Iria paused know that she didn't have the time to read a campfire story about Kazon's life to a bunch of guards, but she still had to make them understand. "You all may not understand... I don't expect you too. But this is his fight more than anyone else's. There isn't any time left to stand around and argue about it. I'm going in there to help Kaz ... maybe he's trying to do this for himself, but deep down, I know that he wants the same thing you all want: to home to your families without the treat of Zeiram and Transiting it won't give you that. I want to go home to my friends, my family, too...but I'm not leaving here without him." Iria had let herself relax a bit as her speech had drawn on, so she straightened herself. She stood like a stone as her eyes displayed a confidence in her words. "I think he can. No, I know he can and I'm going to help him regardless, but you know as well as I do that his time is going to be cut short if we all don't try to help him out." She took a breath, feeling the tension that she had undoubtedly created. "So I ask you again: Please ... do not Transit the Bachnia Center."  
  
The commander simply stood in silence. He let his head drop, almost comically as he let out a long sigh. Iria hung on to a little bit of hope that maybe it was tossing around the idea of considering it in his head.  
  
  
"Please..." she pleaded once more. "There's no time. If I walk out of there and it doesn't look like me and Kaz have destroyed that thing, then you do whatever it is that you do. Just give him... and me, a chance."  
  
The commander lifted his head and let his arms fall to his side as he started to turn towards his post again before momentarily pausing. He more confused than anything at the end of the Hunter's little speech...but the name she used to label the man that had broken through the barricade earlier. 'Kaz', she said. The name rolled over in this mind a few times, recalling stories he had heard in his past years. The renegade Hunter, attacked by Zeiram...Rumors or not, he wasn't sure. He was never sure on who's side to take on the matter either...but their blockade runner from earlier seemed to fit the description...the name only proving it really. The rugged old soldier lifted his head, gaze meeting that of Iria's. She was standing there, waiting but with an obvious sense of urgency. He could already begin to hear the sound of the Transemblers rolling closer and closer to the camp.  
  
"....I'll resend the order..." he finally said a bit softly, "but no guarantees. 'Don't know how I'm gonna explain this one to the higher-ups, but I can atleast by you some time to get your partner out of there if nothing else. But if things start to look rough, I'm pulling the plug on it all..."  
  
Iria let out a long breath, closing her eyes as she did. A sigh of relief surely, shoulders slumping down as she aimed her attention back to the soldier. She gave him a slight nod. "....thanks."  
  
The commander turned around and started walking in the direction of his post, waving a hand nonchalantly, "Well, don't just stand there. Go and help your buddy out...and be quick about it."  
  
Iria nearly had to pinch herself, but she nodded her head again and turned to her Kreeper. She rushed past the groups of guards, pushing them aside if she had to and leapt into her hover craft and quickly flicked the ignition switches.   
  
"_I'm coming Kaz...whether you like it or not. You're stuck with me...._"**_  
  
  
_**

*********************_  
  
Author's Notes:_   
Kids, never go to college. You have zero free time. Atleast I've figured out that problem I got myself into, so no worries. I'm motivated again.  
  
Anyway, this one was probably the most symbolic of any of the other installments, mainly due to the scene with Kaz breaking in. The light cutting the dark is a direct relation to the begin of the prologue. There are a few other things here and there if you're resourceful and have the time to look for. The part with the glass in the end of the scene was to reiterate that, obviously, Zeiram is supposed to be invincible and can incorporated everything from the outside into it's design, with I believe some people tend to forget. That and it's gonna play a nice role later on. The first scene with Iria was also supposed to run longer, particularly with the dialogue between her and Bob. But overall, this whole episode was getting far too long compared to the others, and it felt odd having Iria in two big emotionally charged scenes in one part. So it was ultimately cut out and left to simple conversation and I think it's better that way. I want to show Iria gradually changing, but I almost got ahead of myself.  
  
So with that, I give this story atleast two more episodes and an epilogue, atleast. Depends on home much I pay attention to detail. So stay tuned!   
  
And I don't know why this thing won't center either....oh well.**_  
  
NEXT TIME!!:_**  
Kazon searches for redemption within the Bachnia Center, but finds something instead that's only going to make his path even rockier. However, the apparent lack of Zeiramoid activity had given Iria somewhat of a free ride into the Center after she put an end to the Transit plans. But given a new bit of information...was it really necessary? Ah-ha...plot-twist... The final fight begins next time in**_ IRIA: TSoS_ Episode 12: '_Missing Link_'!**


	14. Pictures!

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Pictures:

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Remember that TSoS pictures are still up on WebShots.com at:   
  
  
  
Too bad WebShots blows a big wet one now....  
  
--**K-S!!--  
**


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